By almost any standard, Boeing's commercial-jet factory in Everett, WA, is an impressive place. For one thing, it is the world's most voluminous building-you could fit all of Disneyland plus five hectares of parking in it. And it's the birthplace of many of the world's largest commercial jets, including Boeing's 767, 777, and 747, the legendary 400-plus seat jumbo jet that has dominated much of long-distance air travel over the last three decades. One of the factory's football-field-sized doors is emblazoned with a giant image of three jets soaring toward a crimson sunset and the inscription "Building the Future of Flight Together." But on a recent drizzly day, the door was partly opened, revealing that the cavernous hangar, big enough to hold three mid-sized passenger jets, is empty.

Given the slowdown in the commercial-aviation business, the idleness of some sections of the huge aircraft factory is no surprise. But despite the economic doldrums, in an office park just a kilometer away, Boeing engineers are busily designing what they hope will solidify the company's future as a commercial-jet maker. It's called the 7E7 Dreamliner, and if all goes to plan, it will be Boeing's first newly designed commercial jet since the 777 was rolled out in 1995.