Boeing 747 Factory

A dramatic view of a Boeing 747 airliner rolling out of Boeing’s Everett, Washington factory takes on a new depth when framed by the reflections of a rain-covered ramp.

First flown in 1969, some 1,574 examples were manufactured over a span of 55 years. Comprised of some six million individual parts, the massive airliner required correspondingly large manufacturing facilities. To meet the need, Boeing constructed the record-breaking plant seen here, which would become the world’s largest building by volume. The 747 remained the largest passenger airliner until the Airbus A380 began airline service in 2007.