The SOFIA 747SP flew it's final flight in September this year.

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NASA thought that although it has made some great discoveries, it wasn't getting enough bang for it's 85 million bucks per year running costs.  It's not without controversy, Scientists have felt that big gains have been made in the last two years but that data wasn't included in the decision.

It doesn't look like a replacement is on the cards, but that begs the question, what could? 

At least it kept and SP airframe in the skies for a few more years. 

I've got a 1/144 resin conversion in The Loft (it weighs a TON!) and it might make a good start for a SOFIA model.

Quote from: Mossie on October 22, 2022, 09:51:31 AMIt doesn't look like a replacement is on the cards, but that begs the question, what could? 

Dreamlifter?

Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 22, 2022, 11:17:47 AMAt least it kept and SP airframe in the skies for a few more years. 

I've got a 1/144 resin conversion in The Loft (it weighs a TON!) and it might make a good start for a SOFIA model.

Yes, good to see the SP continuing to fly.  Shame it didn't work out longer though, it seems SOFIA was maintenance heavy and didn't any way as much science as expected, at least in the early years. I wonder if that was the kit or the SP that caused the problems.  James Webb space telescope seems to have taken some of its mission too.

I'd love to see the conversion, even more if you're planning a SOFIA.  I live in hope that Revell might kit SOFIA (and the SP) as the DLR was heavily involved.

Quote from: scooter on October 22, 2022, 12:25:11 PM

Quote from: Mossie on October 22, 2022, 09:51:31 AMIt doesn't look like a replacement is on the cards, but that begs the question, what could? 

Dreamlifter?

You could get a whole bank of telescopes in there.  If the Germans went alone, maybe a Beluga would work?

IIRC the mission has been taken over by satellites/James Webb, as apparently that was felt to be more cost-effective, or sumpin'.

There is a 3-d printable model available from NASA themselves:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/print-your-own-3-d-sofia-model

V1Decals do a sheet for it too, and they will re-size it if you ask them nicely (ask me how I know):

https://www.v1decals.com/decal/v1d0488/nasa/boeing-747sp

and of course there was the Academy 1/288 kit I converted for Brother-in-Law last Christmas - as soon as I can get my head around how to link photos, I'll send some along.

Let's give this a go, then...

Well, that worked.

Yeeha! Ooh, there's no holding me back now - watch out, World!

That looks pretty neat Rick, was the kit originally a normal SP?

No, it's the Academy long-bodied Shuttle Carrier.

I had to do more than just shorten it, but that's a whole 'nother conversation.
There is a conversion article in an old FineScale Modeler, but do you think I could find it when I wanted it? Could I buttery. I wound up tracing around the fuselage, calculating how much to chop out and where, and getting it done.
Thankfully there was another article online which was a great help.

Then when it was finished and about to be on it's way, guess what turned up... 

Good work on the conversion. 

Quote from: Rick Lowe on October 22, 2022, 01:14:08 PMIIRC the mission has been taken over by satellites/James Webb, as apparently that was felt to be more cost-effective, or sumpin'.

SOFIA was intended as an interim IR observatory until JWST came on line. That didn't quite work out as planned: SOFIA was delayed by several years due to development issues.

Good job JWST was as well, at least they got some return for their time and money.

That's one HECK of a good job you did there Rick! There's a lot of work in converting a long body 747 into an SP, much more than just chopping chunks out of the fuselage!

Well done indeed.   

Thanks, folks.

Kit - yeah, I know this now...    Not quite the 'shake and bake' conversion it looked like initially.

If, and it's a BIG if, I can get my act together, I should really sort out a build article...

That's a fantastic job, Rick!

I left the IR Lab at UCLA shortly before construction started on FLITECAM, one of the IR cameras on SOFIA. I remember a lot of hand-wringing about the delays and issues with the airplane.