--- title: "This WWII aviation program was more expensive than the Manhattan Project" description: "The B-29 Superfortress allowed the U.S. to bomb Japan from bases in China and India." date: "2022-03-05" modified: "2026-02-24" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/b-29-project-expensive/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" tags: - "America250" - "Bombers" - "Military History" - "World War II" --- # This WWII aviation program was more expensive than the Manhattan Project ![B-29 Superfortress bomber]() *A Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. (U.S. Air Force)* The [Manhattan Project](), America’s nuclear bomb program, was one of the most expensive research and development undertakings of World War II. In total, the program cost about $2 billion, or approximately $36 billion in 2026 when adjusted for inflation. However, one program was 50% more expensive than the Manhattan Project: the [B-29 Superfortress](). **Related:** [**This B-29 is the only bomber to become a jet ace**]() It was pushed through, though. After all, it was necessary for the Manhattan Project to work and the war to be won. ### Coming to China's Aid ![Cairo Conferrence]() *President Franklin D. Roosevelt sits with China's Chiang Kai-shek (left) and Britain's Winston Churchill (right) at the Cairo Conference in 1943. (FDR Presidential Library and Museum)* Since 1937, China had been fighting the Japanese largely on its own. By 1943, President [Franklin D. Roosevelt]() feared that China would pull out of the war amid mounting losses. If so, that would free a large portion of Japan’s military to refocus its efforts against the U.S. At the [Cairo Conference]() in November 1943, Roosevelt pledged his support to Chinese Gen. Chiang Kai-shek and his fight against the Japanese. Roosevelt committed America’s newest bomber, the [Boeing B-29 Superfortress](), to bomb Japan from bases in China and India by the spring of 1944. Less than 100 B-29s were built by the time Roosevelt made his promise to the Chinese. Only [15% of them]() were actually flyable. The revolutionary long-distance, high-altitude bomber was incredibly complex and required extensive testing and evaluation to make it combat-worthy. Wartime pressure and Roosevelt’s promise only further strained the bomber’s development. ### Playing Catch-Up with the B-29 Superfortress https://youtu.be/lIBtpED-vUw Additionally, the sophisticated aircraft needed highly trained crewmembers to fly it. Less than 75 pilots were checked out in the B-29 when the Cairo Conference started. Very few aircrews were fully trained and certified on it. Workers also were trained on how to build the B-29. With its pressurized cabin, central fire-control system, and four massive 18-cylinder, 2,200-horsepower engines, among other complexities, the B-29 was not an easy plane to build. Initially, the building of one aircraft required [more than 150,000 man-hours](). The B-29 was needed to fulfill Roosevelt’s promise, because it exceeded the range of America’s existing [B-17 Flying Fortress](). While a capable bomber in its own right, the B-17 just didn’t have the legs for a round-trip bombing run to the Japanese mainland. It was also incapable of carrying and delivering the atomic bomb that the Manhattan Project was developing. Only the B-29 could deploy the nuclear weapons in development. Because of that, little regard was given to cost, monetary, or labor as development of the B-29 pressed on. Although B-29s and their components were assembled [across the country]() from Washington to Georgia, the majority of B-29 work was done at Boeing’s plants [in Wichita, Kansas](). ### A Promise Not Met ![B-29 Superfortress over Japan]() *A 39th Bombardment Group B-29 Superfortress drops 500-pound, high-explosive bombs over Japan during World War II. (U.S. Army Air Forces)* With production so rushed, much of the assembly line was located outdoors. The workforce battled heavy snowfall and negative temperatures during the winter of 1943-1944 to keep B-29s flowing into the hands of aircrews. On some days, workers could only operate in 20-minute stretches before they retreated to the warmth of gasoline heaters laid out on the flight line. Roosevelt’s promise was not met, however. He determined it was close enough, though. The first 130 B-29s made the [11,500-mile journey]() from the U.S. to airbases in China and India by May 8, 1944. On June 15, 68 B-29s took off for the first bombing of the Japanese mainland since the [Doolittle Raid]() of 1942. Unfortunately, the mission failed to hit its target and resulted in the loss of six aircraft. This was a huge blow to the B-29 program. After all, the remote bases in China and India could only be resupplied by air, which was risky and limited in capacity. ### LeMay Placed in Charge of Japan ![Curtis LeMay]() *Gen. Joseph Stilwell (left) chats with Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay at a B-29 base in China in October 1944. (Library of Congress)* In January 1945, Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold placed [Gen. Curtis LeMay]() in charge of operations against Japan. LeMay switched the B-29’s tactics from high-altitude precision bombing, which was largely ineffective, to low-level firebombings. This switch affected Japan greatly since its cities consisted largely of wood. Moreover, the capture of the Marianas gave the U.S. a base from which to launch B-29s with easier and more consistent supply access by ship. With the delivery of two atomic bombs on August 6 and 9, the B-29 proved its worth as a strategic bomber. Under LeMay’s leadership, the aircraft’s image changed. It went from being viewed as an over-budget governmental waste to a symbol of American airpower in the nuclear age. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty ##### **• [The B-32 Dominator was the B-29 Superfortress’ WWII understudy]()** ##### **• [B-52 tail gunners scored two kills in the last bombing campaign of the Vietnam War]()** ##### **• [Japan’s invasion of Alaska and the only World War II land campaign on American soil]()** ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()