“There’s obviously a lot that gets press these days,” said Jeffrey Standerski, vice president and general manager of Rockwell Collins’ air transport systems. “But I’ll tell you what: It’s really phenomenal when you think about the success that the Boeing systems are having in the flight test program.”

Rockwell Collins makes cockpit electronics for the Dreamliner. The company has a contract with Boeing valued at $3.5 billion over the life of the Dreamliner program.

Standerski describes a cohesive design and manufacturing process that involves constant communication between Boeing, Rockwell Collins, Honeywell International, GE and Hamilton Sundstrand, who also work on airplane systems.

He said Boeing contacted suppliers in the earliest stages of the 787 program and set up identical labs for engineers at the various companies. “Things have gotten more obviously complex on airplanes because of the increased functionality that is on airplanes,” Standerski said.

Integrated architecture eventually will become the norm in plane-making, Standerski said, noting comparable construction practices on the Airbus A350. “It’s going to continue to force companies to innovate,” he said. “It’s going to continue to force companies to make the investments in research and development to make sure that we’re working on the technology for those next-generation airplanes.”

By now, Boeing has about 850 orders for the Dreamliner on its books from airlines and aircraft leasing companies all over the world. It’s a record number of orders for a plane still in development.

Aviation experts remain thrilled by the plane’s reported fuel-efficiency as well the promise of a smooth, quiet, comfortable ride for passengers. Their delight was on full display in July when hordes of plane spotters gathered on the perimeter of the Farnborough Airshow in England to watch the Dreamliner land after its first overseas flight. Aviation buffs inside and outside of Boeing frequently call the 787 a “game-changer.”

“It’s still a plane with a very broad and eager market,” said Teal Group’s Aboulafia. “It’s going to take them a long time to make money with this. But eventually — assuming it works out — they’re going to sell thousands.”

Meanwhile, the more than 50 customers for the plane have mostly withheld public criticism of Boeing, despite the havoc that delivery delays play with their long-term fleet planning.

Analysts believe Boeing has probably already paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in penalty payments for late delivery.

Boeing has not said what it has spent on the Dreamliner program so far. But experts believe the plane is at least several billion dollars over budget.

In the end, the Dreamliner will be judged on its safety, reliability and ability to deliver on its many promises, said Ray Goforth, executive director of the SPEEA union in Seattle.

“The real test on the 787 is going to come in its first year in service,” he said.

The reliability rate of the Dreamliner will have to be near 100 percent to appease cost-conscious airlines that cannot afford to have a plane frequently out of service for repairs.

“If it turns out that this thing is a dog because more and more of these problems are still cropping up, you are going to have to fix them quick and keep that level of confidence in the plane, or those orders will just evaporate,” Goforth said.

At the same time, the Dreamliner and Boeing will also be judged on their impact on US labor and American engineering.

The Dreamliner will be delivered sooner or later. And someday the same planes now parked in Everett may be the first of thousands of 787s to take their place in the skies among other Boeing icons like the jumbo 747 and the shorter-range workhorse 737.

But Boeing employees in the Puget Sound region are increasingly bitter about a corporate culture they say erodes the skills of American workers and makes their company less attractive to young people entering the job market. They hope Boeing leaders will soon see things their way.

Judging by its statements — including the emailed comments to Reuters — the company and its critics may not be so far apart on the issue of outsourcing.

“We made too many changes at the same time — new technology, new design tools and a change in the supply chain — and thus outran our ability to manage it effectively for a period of time,” the company said. “In short, we have learned, and we are applying our learning.”