Funny, I rather think Boeing have little choice but to pursue the SC as they have lost the last bastion of their dominance of commercial aircraft production to Airbus and the 380. As with the 747 Boeing need to once again "bet the farm" on a project that will IMHO ultimately be the next step up in commercial air transport on planet earth. Airbus may have just about caught Boeing in annual output and sales but they have done so by playing catch up. Boeing won't want to be playing THAT game against their European rivals I am sure. It may take a bit longer than envisaged originally but the SC represents the future of commercial air transport.