Between production delays and battery issues, it's been a challenging gestation and infancy for the Boeing 787. But despite the many setbacks, the company continues to move full speed ahead with new versions of its fuel-efficient composite Dreamliner. The current model, the 787-8, made its first flight in December 2009 and after being grounded earlier this year due to a pair of battery related fire/melting events, more than 70 are flying the skies with airlines around the world. The next version, the slightly longer 787-9 has finally made its public debut and is expected to make its first flight soon. The 787-9 is 20 feet longer than the original Dreamliner and has room for about 40 more seats for a total of up to 290. It's also capable of slightly longer flights, adding about 300 miles to the 8,200 mile range of the 787-8. An even longer version, the predictably named 787-10, was formally announced at the Paris Air Show in June. That airplane will add another 18 feet and 40 more seats. Construction has yet to begin on the 787-10, but we had a chance to visit the Dreamliner factory north of Seattle while the new 787-9 was being built earlier this summer. The airplane shares the same composite design and efficiency of its smaller sibling, including the same wing, though they are strengthened to handle the additional weight. With much of the learning curve of building a new composite airliner behind them, Boeing has had better luck sticking to its planned development schedule for the 787-9. If the flight testing continues on the same path, Air New Zealand is expected to take delivery of the first 787-9 during the middle of next year.

The forward fuselage section of the first 787-9 sits in a jig awaiting final assembly at the factory in Everett, Washington. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

Just in case anybody forgets which airplane they are working on. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

The sleek, efficient wing of the 787-9 sits in place on a jig with the forward fuselage, awaiting the center section. The curve of the wingtip reduces the drag caused by the interaction of the airflow over the top and bottom of the wing. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

The engine pylon are ready for the massive Rolls Royce Trent 1000 that will power the first 787-9 to be used in flight testing. Airlines can order both the 787-8 and -9 with either the Rolls Royce, or the General Electric GEnx engines. Each engine weighs nearly 13,000 pounds. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

A Boeing team inspects the outside of the center wing box. Like much of the airplane, most of the center wing box is made from composites, but that section is hidden from view inside the fuselage. The area where the wing is joined to the fuselage is made of a titanium alloy and early in the production of the 787-8 there was a design issue discovered with way the wing attached to the wing box, leading to the improper distribution of the stress load. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

Here's the wing root that's joined with the wing box in the previous photo. The two titanium pieces are attached, and with the redesign, the massive stress loads are properly distributed throughout the center wing box. The orange wiring seen at the leading edge of the wing is for flight test instrumentation, a standard technique in the aerospace industry to easily distinguish the standard essential wiring from those used only in testing. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

Just a friendly reminder inside the cockpit to remove the bright orange plastic covering before you try and fly the 787-9. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

Like most airliners, the vertical part of the tail of the 787-9 – particularly the rudder – is painted before final assembly because it must be precisely balanced. The center fuselage section can be seen in the background. Photo: Jason Paur / WIRED

All of the major sections of the first 787-9 are together on the assembly line in Everett, Washington. Next major item to be added are the engines as the final pieces are put together and the airplane heads to the paint booth. Photo: Boeing

Showing off the new style of Boeing livery, the first 787-9 heads for its parking spot where the Rolls Royce engines were started for the first time last Thursday. The first flight is expected in the coming weeks. Photo: Boeing