JETs Vol. 25-34: SOFIA 747SP

SOFIA! The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy was a NASA modified 747SP-21 that housed a 100" reflecting telescope. The aircraft, serial number 21441, first flew as an observatory in 2010, and was retired in 2022.

SOFIA flew its long hour missions at night at altitudes up to 45,000 ft, putting it (and its 8.2 ft telescope) above 99% of the IR-blocking atmosphere. The telescope itself was housed in a bay just forward of the tail. This bay was isolated from the forward, pressurized fuselage where the crew was housed. This bay featured a retractable door that was opened in flight to give the telescope an unobstructed view of the night sky. 

JETs Vol. 25-34 has been cut from various SOFIA program components and is offered in 5 variants: White Aluminum (Rudder Tab), Green Aluminum (Rudder Tab), White Composite (Rudder Tab), Grey Aluminum (Wing component skin), and URD (Upper Rigid Door Insulation Panels). 

This JET was originally released in 2024 featuring tags cut only from the Rudder Tab. This second edition comes on our new JETs card. 

We acquired a large lot of SOFIA directly from NASA in early 2024. These parts are a combination of overhauled parts and flown parts. 

Rudder Tab (White Aluminum, Green Aluminum, and White Composite JETs): The Rudder Tab, serial number 046, was delivered to NASA after receiving a new seal and NASA white paint (according to paperwork). This rudder tab was not on the aircraft when it was retired in 2022, and its flight history prior to 2015 was not included in the documentation. We do not know if/when this rudder tab was flown on SOFIA, but it’s connection with the program is well documented.

Wing Skin (Grey Aluminum JETs): We acquired numerous SOFIA wing components (spoilers, leading/trailing edges, etc). Some are freshly overhauled and others are removed parts. The Wing components we have allocated for this run are flown components as evidenced by their use. Based on removal tags we believe these may have been flown on SOFIA early in the program. 

URD (Upper Rigid Door): The URD JETs have been cut from URD insulation panels. They are composite and come with a printed design. The URD panels are unique to SOFIA and were part of the door located on the starboard (right) side of the fuselage that would open in flight to give the telescope an unobstructed view of the night sky.