The wartime role of a completed Hughes Hercules

What would change if the Hughes Hercules had been completed during the war, perhaps in 1942?

It would have provided scarce high-value transoceanic airlift without greatly changing aviation technology or moving bulk cargo at scale.

In this counterfactual, completing the Hughes Hercules in 1942 would have little effect on aviation technology because the design used mature equipment at large scale. Its proposed role is carrying exceptionally valuable cargo that could not safely be risked at sea, including gold reserves and senior officials. European transport is the main suggested use, with selected Pacific island movements another possibility. Production limits would keep the fleet small. One estimate recalls a plan for about 36 airframes with roughly 20 operational, while another expects only about 20 to be built before the war ended.