Analysts say they can only guess at Northrop's cash flow from the bomber program.
The bomber program is now expected to cost $27 billion in 1987 dollars, a figure that takes into account inflation.
It'll save their strategic bomber program.
The Congressional agency said today that these improvements, costing several hundred million dollars each, were originally cut from the bomber program to keep its cost down.
By 1943 the ultimate development of the new bomber program, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, was flying.
The Air Force proceeded with three duplicative manned bomber programs.
After Generalleutnant Wever died in an airplane crash, the heavy bomber program lost its momentum, and never recovered.
They are pursuing a strategy designed to cope both with the end of the bomber program and changes in the military contracting environment.
Many experimental variants were built and the valuable experience launched the Soviet strategic bomber program.
Congressional aides said the G.A.O.'s assessment put the initial cost of the bomber program at $57.2 billion when calculated in current dollars, including inflation.
