Where Boeing's next-gen 747-8 comes to life (photos)

EVERETT, Wash.--Although aviation giant Boeing has been focused largely on its long-awaited 787 Dreamliner for the last few years, it has also been working feverishly to launch the next-generation of the most iconic airplane ever, the 747. Boeing tomorrow will formally unveil the 747-8 Intercontinental, almost exactly a year after the first flight of its cargo version, the 747-8 F.

CNET and much of the other aviation press corps today got a rare tour of the 747-8 assembly plant, deep inside the largest building in the world (by volume). For 747 fans, it was a terrific treat. For those who just wanted to see the new version of the famous plane being built, it was equally rewarding.

This is a 747-8 Intercontinental being built for Lufthansa, Boeing's launch partner for the new plane.

The outside of the Everett factory, where many Boeing passenger plane models are built, including the 747, 787, and 777.

A look at the nose section of an under-assembly 747-8 freighter.

The front of a 747-8 freighter that is in final assembly at Boeing's giant Everett, Wash., plant.

A close-up of the front right side of this 747-8 Intercontinental, which is under final assembly for Boeing's launch partner, Lufthansa.

A side view of a 747-8 freighter in final assembly.

A look inside the top section of a 747-8 Intercontinental that is under assembly. This plane is being built for a private Boeing customer.

A look inside the main section of a 747-8 Intercontinental that is under assembly. This plane is being built for a private Boeing customer.

A look from the rear at the two General Electric GEnx-2B engines on the right wing of a 747-8 Intercontinental that is under assembly. This is the first of the Intercontinentals being built for Lufthansa, Boeing's launch partner on the new plane.

A close-up of a General Electric GEnx-2B engine, from the rear.

A look at a GEnx-2B engine, with its sides open.

A look from the front and side of a GEnx-2B engine, with its sides open.

There may be no more famous silhouette in aviation than that of a 747. Here, we see the famous double-decker front of a 747-8 freighter under final assembly.

A view across the vast floor of the Boeing Everett assembly plant, where we see three 747-8 F's under assembly.

The landing gear of a 747-8. All told, a 747-8 has 18 tires, each of which has 35 layers of material.

A look at a General Electric GEnx-2B engine from the front.

A view of a 747-8 wing waiting to be joined with one of the plane's fuselages.

A look at the wing of a 747-8 freighter from above.

A horizontal stabilizer of a 747-8 freighter awaiting assembly.

A mid-spar of a 747-8. There are three spars that make up each wing of an airplane, and this one provides structure for the wing. It is essentially the backbone of the wing.

A close-up of the front of the plane's wing.

This is the fuel jettison cone, which is used if, in an emergency, the pilot decides it is vital to ditch all the fuel from the plane.

This is the over-center wing box, a piece of the plane's skin that is meant to handle loads for the wing. It is heat bonded and heat treated, and thicker than the rest of the plane's skin. It is called "Fort Knox" because it is the strongest piece of the aircraft.

This is the turn fixture, a giant device that is used to flip the plane's fuselage over in assembly so that teams can work on either the top or the bottom.

The wing and engine of a 747-8 under final assembly.

A look up and under a 747-8 freighter's wing.

A look under the wing from the side.

A look at the 747-8 Intercontinental from underneath its front.

A look at the underside of the 747-8 Intercontinental's wing as the plane sits in final assembly at Boeing's massive Everett, Washington facility.

A poster touting Boeing's pride in its next-gen plane.

A look at the wiring underneath the main section of a 747-8 Intercontinental that is in final assembly.

Boeing employees work inside a 747-8 Intercontinental that is under final assembly.

The wing of a 747-8 freighter with its General Electric GEnx-2B engines not yet attached.

These are skins that go around the section of a 747-8 where the wings will be joined.

It takes two of these devices to move the 747-8's wings into place. They are too heavy to be lifted using cranes.