The
Douglas XB-19 was the largest bomber built for the
United States Army Air Corps until
1946. It was originally given the designation
XBLR-2 (
XBLR- denoting
Experimental Bomber, Long Range).
The purpose of the XB-19 project was to test the flight characteristics and design techniques associated with giant bombers.
Douglas Aircraft Company strongly wanted to cancel the project, because it was
extremely expensive. Despite advances in technology that made the XB-19
obsolete before it was even completed, the Army Air Corps felt that the prototype would be useful for testing. Its construction took so long that competition for the contracts to make the
XB-35 and
XB-36 occurred two months before its first flight.
The plane
finally flew on
June 27 1941,
more than three years after the construction contract was awarded. In
1943, the original
Wright R-3350 engines were replaced with
Allison V-3420-11
V engines. After completion of testing, the XB-19 served as a cargo carrier until
it was scrapped in
1949.
So a B19 is something that is experimental that should be canceled, is extrememly expensive, obsolete before it is finished, behind schedule, and will eventually be scrapped.
Sounds about right.