Here’s Steve’s latest update on the Lancaster. You’ll see our missing seventh crewman has been painted in, sitting on a kitbag. Steve says that at this stage he looks like he’s searching for something on the ground. The kitbag gives him away – it must be the navigator, who could usually be recognised by the large bag of maps and instruments he had to carry to and from the aircraft. Other changes in this update include a bit more definition in the shadows on the aircraft and some grass that has appeared in the foreground. Click on the image to enlarge:
I’m not sure how that seventh crew member got there, his bicycle isn’t evident yet… but Steve tells me it’s coming!
This post was edited for clarity on 31 October 2010. Meanwhile, I’m now in Melbourne and, happily, I have internet access again. So, pending job commitments, posting on this blog should from now on be back to what passes for its usual schedule.
Something Very Big 
Adam
What do you mean by the late running navigator?
Sorry but the story is getting more exciting every time I read your notes.
Congratulations on settling.
There was a show on SBS last night on Lancasters and it was fascinating.
My son Damien is most interested.
Hear from you soon,.
Enjoy your journey in Melbourne.
Therese
Ahh sorry Therese, maybe I need to re-write that post. It was a reference to the fact that, in the last update, there were only six crew painted in. I made a crack about ‘perhaps the seventh member is still cycling over from the ops building’.
So Steve added Number Seven in this update – who’s sitting on a kitbag, seemingly intently searching on the ground in front of his feet. Basis the fact that you could normally recognise navs by the large kit bag containing all their instruments and maps and things, I figured Number Seven is probably the nav in this painting. So I reckon he’s searching because he’s lost something…
The bicycle is an integral part of the story (at least two of the crew had bicycles – I’ve got written evidence of that – and I have a bit of a history with bikes myself) and so will be included somewhere – so my last line in this post was a bad joke because it hasn’t been painted in yet. I know Steve reads the blog so I was stirring him up a little.
Note this is a work-in-progress and these little things will be fixed up by the time the final version is complete.
And while I think of it, I watched that program last night as well. I don’t think they did too bad a job of it – dealing with controversies like Dresden in a reasonably even-handed manner. Some good footage there too.
What, stir me up? Never!!!