Hugh - certainly not wishing to argue with the masses and as I have not seen a Corgi QE model up close, maybe you are correct. Not many would go for a full hull model to compare.

I have not critiqued others herein, but I have elsewhere, but they are not shouting about being the best. The CNC Mountford version is incorrect in several ways including the red lines you refer to. The Albatros version is good but markings are poorly applied, from what I have seen.

As some comfort for those who like the Corgi version, I know it has taken FOREVER to get the model out, so maybe they used this photo below for their deck markings (taken off Scotland in June 2017), but did not get them quite right even then.
But that of course was before F35s were on her. In the photo the 45 degree blue lines are there, the transverse lines go across the lifts and there is no dotted line aft. Just the spot numbers then - so Corgi is almost June 2017 QE on sea trials!!



For me a waterline model with correct up to date deck markings and decent planes is better than a full hull one that needs lot of work depicting the ship 5 years ago.