Boeing booked net orders for 805 commercial airplanes in 2011, fueled by a late flurry of record-breaking deals. The company also delivered 477 airplanes, ending the year with a backlog of 3,771 unfilled commercial orders.

Although last year’s unit sales for rival Airbus will beat Boeing’s confirmed net total by more than 500 units, Boeing enjoyed a far stronger year in the widebody segment, registering orders for 254 airplanes, including a record two hundred 777s. It also reported “commitments” for more than 1,000 of the new, re-engined version of its 737NG known as the 737MAX, many, if not most of which it expects to convert to firm orders this year.

All told, Boeing delivered 477 airplanes last year, including a somewhat disappointing three 787s and nine 747-8s. Its latest estimates, issued during last year’s third-quarter earnings briefing, called for a combined delivery total of between 15 and 20 of the newly certified airplanes. As a result, it barely fell short of its October projection for a delivery total of 480 units.

Airbus most recently had projected it would deliver between 520 and 530 airplanes last year.