An iconic Boeing jet model nicknamed the Queen of the Skies swooped back into Moses Lake, Washington, Tuesday where it once was a regular presence. This queen will be accessorized to carry bling under its wing while it's there.

The landing and handover of the retired Boeing 747 from Qantas Airways drew a crowd to Grant County International Airport. Aviation engineering contractor AeroTEC will now modify the jumbo jet into a flying testbed for its new owner, British airplane engine maker Rolls-Royce.

"The Queen of the Skies will become the jewel in the crown of our global test programmes," said Gareth Hedicker, director of development and experimental engineering at Rolls-Royce, in a statement Tuesday. "This is a significant investment that will expand our world-leading test capabilities even further and will allow us to obtain more flight test data than ever before."

A flying testbed is useful for validating performance at altitude and under full-speed flight conditions. Rolls-Royce said it will use the revamped 747-400 to test the next generation of aircraft engines. This could result in odd scenes like mismatched engines under one wing or a business jet engine running on a pylon jutting out from the upper deck hump.

The estimated two-year conversion of the jumbo jet could bring back memories in Central Washington. Boeing 747s used to be a common sight back when Japan Airlines trained its pilots to fly them at Moses Lake. That lasted for almost four decades until 2008.

AeroTEC said the jumbo jet conversion project will create 40 jobs at its Moses Lake flight test facility.