Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

In memoriam of Maurice Sendak, who died on the morning of May 8, 2012, in Danbury, Connecticut, from complications of a stroke.

“From their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions; fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.” (Maurice Sendak)

Dang it! I was outbid again!

Most people don’t know that Skrik is actually a series of paintings created between 1893 and 1910. The version just sold (a pastel from 1895) is the last one in private hands. It was previously owned by Norwegian business heir Petter Olsen.

The 1893 version (and possibly my favorite) is now at the National Gallery in Oslo. My second favorite (the 1910 version) is located at the Munch Museum, also in Oslo. (It was stolen in 2004, and recovered in 2006). The same museum also holds another pastel.

Edvard Munch: Skrik (The Scream). This is the 1893 version. Click to enlarge.

It was quite extraordinary to see and touch this rare and wonderful aircraft, which once was so secret that even most US Congressmen and Senators had no idea of its existence.

Here is a picture of Mr. Flanagan (left) taken while he was on active duty.

Bill Flanagan, BC Thomas, JT Vida, Tom Tilden. Click to enlarge. Image source.

(Image source)

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Recommended book:

Von Braun – Dreamer of Space / Engineer of War

by Michael J. Neufeld, chair of Space History Division of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

© Smithsonian Institution 2007. Published by Alfred Knopf, New York.

ISBN:  978-0-307-26292-0 (hardcover) or  978-0-307-38937-4 (paperback).

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

In essence, SOFIA this is a giant, state-of-the-art infrared observatory packed into the aft fuselage of a highly modified Boeing 747SP. By making airborne observations high in the stratosphere, SOFIA’s instruments can gather light above 99% of our atmosphere’s water vapor. The flying observatory is now beginning to enter full scale scientific operations.

Our 10-hour long flight (dubbed Basic Science Flight 2) took off from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Most of our circuitous flight took place over the Pacific Ocean. After about 10 hours in the air, during which we reached altitudes of 43,000 feet, we returned safely to Palmdale.

The mission consisted of tests and observations on the GREAT instrument (the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies), which were successfully carried out.

It was a thrilling experience, and I was most impressed with the professional workmanship of the entire NASA crew. Keeping this highly complex, unique aircraft operational and flying in a reasonably safe manner is no easy task requiring much coordination and teamwork.

My detailed report was published in the January February 2012 issue of Gruner+Jahr’s popular German science magazine, P.M. Magazin. An excerpt (in German) can be read here. (The magazine will continue to be available online in both print and iPhone/iPad app editions).

Click the image below to see my photo album:

Links:

SOFIA on Wikipedia

NASA’s SOFIA Page

DLR’s SOFIA Page (English)

DLR’s SOFIA Seiten (Deutsch)

Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI)

SOFIA Science Center (USRA Page)

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Other images show Jupiter, Saturn and details of the Moon and Sun. Another records a meteor shower that lit up the skies one night in November 1868. [See Trouvelot's Astronomy Illustrations]. All images were made available by the New York Public Library.

Trouvelot was less known for his astronnomical drawings, but more for his work as an amateur entomologist. This, however, had unintended results. As part of an attempt to produce silk in America, Trouvelot brought in gypsy moths from Europe — to be bred in the United States. Things went awfully wrong. Some larvae escaped and became an invasive species. To this day, gypsy moths are a devastating pest in America, destroying forest foliage in parts of the Southeast and Midwest, and in the northeastern United States.

I wish Trouvelot had stuck to drawing astronomical objects.

Unfortunately I only met Hal in his old age, but I am grateful for the time we were able to spend together. Hal was one of a few remaining witnesses of a very special time in popular culture, and American history: the Swing Era. Always gracious, supportive, friendly and willing to share from the wealth of his experience, he and his wife Marge were regular attendees and contributors to a series of public events I co-produced and directed.  I will miss him dearly and remember him fondly. Hal left behind his wife of many years, Marge Takier.

Below is the first part of a three part mini-documentary made in 2001 of legendary Southern California swing dancers Hal Takier, Jean Veloz, and Freda Angela. Interviews were filmed by Erik Robison, Tip West and Mike Mizgalski and edited by Hilary Alexander. (Provided via YouTube):

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com