Figure 1.  August 19, 2006: The SOFIA aircraft is shown taxiing under its own power at the aircraft modifier's facility in Waco, Texas. Mr. Tom Speer of USRA was at the controls for this and subsequent taxi and full-power tests of the Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J engines.

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Figure 2.  With its new paint job, SOFIA assumes the appearance anticipated for years. It is shown here on 23 September 2006, soon after emerging from the paint hangar at L-3 Communications in Waco, Texas.

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Figure 3.  Painted nose: national flags and agency logos on SOFIA's new paint job denote the collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA. Routine access to the aircraft for personnel and science instruments will be through the front left-side door seen here.

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Figure 4.  Video footage of SOFIA moving under its own power down the runway at L-3 Communications in Waco, TX, during early August 2006

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