Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing's big project for this year is to get a dream project off the ground--literally. The aviation giant's first 787 Dreamliner is scheduled to emerge from the factory on July 8, with a first flight anticipated for later in the summer. This is Boeing's first all-new airplane in about a decade.

On Monday, Boeing touted its last big step along the way: the opening of the Everett, Wash., final-assembly facility for the 787. The plane is being assembled there from large composite structures from various worldwide partners, rather than many smaller components. The nose--section 41--was built by Spirit AeroSystems of Wichita, Kan. The first 787 will take weeks to complete; eventually, Boeing expects to churn out a new plane every three days.