As I said, research, what a fucking nightmare!
Update on Q-Queenie, after weeks of trawling Aviation forums etc, I thought I’d got Queenie right, until I heard the Pilot was alive, living in Melbourne & in his 90’s-so I tracked him down!
The nose art, I only ever found a few small B+W pictures & had no idea as to the colour, I decided on a red the same as the letters on the sides of the Lancasters. Spot on! Thanks to Peter Isaacson, DFC, AFC, DFM (Pilot) for confirming this, the flying Kangaroo with wings carrying a bomb & Queenie v1 next to it.
The plane was complete! Or so I thought, I left off the top turret as this model Lancaster was built without. Where’s the top Turret? asked the Pilot. Did it have one? Direct quote from Peter Issacson “Q for Queenie flew out as ED930, when she arrived at Laverton she was re classified A66-1 & a top turret fitted & then transferred from RTAF to RAAF”
What an amazing man! Now able to put this all together & after almost 70 years, how wrong people are with their facts, I feel good in that I can now put this right, thanks to the Original Pilot that flew the damn thing from Prestwick to Australia & under Sydney Harbour Bridge, way back in 1943!
I now have to draw on a Top Turret….. *Sigh* Almost there!
'THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS' 