Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in the making

A day before Boeing finally hands off the first of its long-anticipated jets to its launch partner, we got an up-close and personal look at the production line.

If you know anything about aeroplanes, you're no doubt aware of the long travails of one of the most anticipated planes of all time, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

First unveiled before thousands of employees, press and fans on 8 July 2007, the plane was supposed to begin carrying paying passengers by 2008. But after years of delays of all kinds, the Dreamliner has yet to achieve that milestone.

But soon, Boeing is expected to finally reach the top of the hill with the plane, and will host a large crowd eager to see the formal hand-over of the first Dreamliner to launch customer, All Nippon Airways. Sceptics will always wonder if the delays will hurt the plane's sales, or harm perceptions of it. But Boeing says the plane has sold well and that airlines are lining up to buy it.

Either way, aviation enthusiasts will have to applaud the plane's delivery on Monday — and questions will turn to whether a composite airframe really does what Boeing says it will — save money on fuel, and fly passengers on a plane that is designed to last 30 years or more while ushering in the age of composite fuselages.

On Sunday, CNET joined other members of the media on tours of both the 787 Dreamliner factory and the plane itself. Please come back tomorrow for coverage of the hand-over ceremonies.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Three years later than originally planned, Boeing will deliver the first of its much-anticipated 787 Dreamliners to its launch customer, All Nippon Airways (ANA). On Sunday, the manufacturer invited a group of media on a tour of the Dreamliner factory floor.

This is a forward fuselage section of one of a Dreamliner that is currently at the end of the assembly line where four of the planes are always under production.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Boeing employees work at installing systems inside the wing centre section of a 787 Dreamliner at the aircraft maker's giant assembly plant in Everett, Washington.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is a view of the wing centre section — one of three major fuselage sections — of the 787 Dreamliner.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the tail cone and aft fuselage sections of a 787 Dreamliner, as seen on the factory floor of Boeing's assembly plant in Everett, Washington.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is a 787 Dreamliner's horizontal stabiliser, awaiting assembly in what is known as "position zero", where major sections of the planes are brought into the giant factory. The major elements of the planes are joined at "position one", and the planes are finished when they reach position four.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

A Dreamliner wing is laid out alongside the assembly line.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

The wings are joined to the fuselage from this end.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here, we look down a Dreamliner wing inside the Boeing assembly plant in Everett, Washington.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here, we see the inside of a Dreamliner tail cone section after the section — and the other major components — have been joined together.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the wing tip of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is a 787 Dreamliner that will belong to Air India. It is seen at position four, meaning that it is nearly finished.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

There are always four Dreamliners being worked on at any given time. The assembly line is designed to handle up to 10 Dreamliners a month, but at the moment, Boeing is only turning out about two a month. Soon, that number will ramp up to seven.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is a Dreamliner landing gear, sitting on the factory floor in Everett.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here, we see a Dreamliner tail at position one, meaning the plane has only recently had its major sections joined together.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This moving stairway used to belong to Boeing's 777 line, but has been re-purposed for the 787 line.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the Air India Dreamliner, located at position four, where all its major components, including its engines, have already been added.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here, we see the wings of each of four Dreamliners that are currently on the assembly line.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the front of a Dreamliner in position four, as seen from above.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the first Dreamliner that Boeing is delivering to ANA. Boeing and ANA will host a celebration of the hand-over in the next few hours.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Before the plane's engines are mounted, it is necessary to hang this 17,000-pound (7711kg) weight from the wings in order to flex the wings, which allows for workers to install the doors and windows. The wing flexing slightly curves the fuselage, which is required to install the doors and wings.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

A close-up of the engine weight that hangs from the engine mount of a 787 Dreamliner on the assembly line at Boeing's giant plant in Everett, Washington.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here, we see the nose cone raised on a Dreamliner that is under construction on the assembly line.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

In this picture, we see a 787 Dreamliner at the end of the front of Boeing's assembly plant in Everett, Washington. The building is the world's largest by volume.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Here we see a view of the underside of a Dreamliner's wings while the plane is under construction.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

This is the wing tip of United Airlines' first 787 Dreamliner, which is currently in position three on the assembly line.

Via CNET