Wheels - Rewrite - May 2013

Wheels

Problems with previous posts for some topics has prompted me to rewrite the posts where pictures cannot be viewed. I haven't quite figured out what the problem was or rather is, so I will approach the replacement posts differently in hopes of avoiding similar problems. I will try to also add more photos to demonstrate a point of view or observations related to each topic.

Recently arrived from the Boeing plant and presumably undergoing acceptance for the RCAF by CEPE, airframe 401 is seen in this DND photo with wheels that have blue main wheel rims and nose wheels with either white or aluminum wheel rims.

Still wearing white 400 series numbers, Royal Canadian Air Force fuselage titles and a Canadian flag that has replaced the old Red Ensign on the aft pylon, 401 is pictured in the above DND photo with blue wheel rims all round. Tires and rims as most would logically assume are not exclusive to a single airframe.

Airframe 402 in much the same livery as the previous photo of 401, although with the addition of the Air Transport Command title above the large fuselage RESCUE title, is seen outfitted with wheel rims that appear to be aluminum in colour. Photo - DND

Labrador 403 with blue main wheel rims and an aluminum nose wheel rim, seen here with black 400 series number.

While there were specific colours authorized for the wheel rims on both 113 variants, the reality was more of a smorgasbord of coloured rims.  While each variant was being maintained, within their own element, it is likely; there was little deviation from prescribed directives; silver (aluminum?) or green for the Army and white, or aluminum I believe for the Air Force variant.  Real changes started when Voyageurs were accepted into Air Force inventory.  Red, white and blue Labradors were commonly seen with white wheel rims, however it was just as common to see them with silver or green rims as well after the Voyageurs arrived at SAR bases.

In the above picture of 302 courtesy of Mike Belcher, all wheel rims are clearly white. The photo was taken during Crash Position Indicator (CPI) trials.While they do exist, I do not have a picture suitable for inclusion here that shows a red, white and blue Labrador with green wheel rims.

302 With a complete set of blue rims. Lots of things to note in the above photo that will help the reader date the photo more or less to what is probably the early to mid 1970s?

Robert Harrington's photo of 303 shows the Labrador with at least one white main wheel that has a white rim and nose wheel rim that is probably blue?

Voyageur 410 with white titles and 400 series numbers has what appears to be a complete set of green wheel rims. Photo - DND

Airframe 413 with black titles and numbers with either white or aluminum wheel rims.

New to 442 Squadron and the SAR role, Voyageur 310 still in army green livery and temporary SAR markings, it is fairly clear that all wheel rims are aluminum.

Voyageurs while in Army inventory could be found with either green or silver rims. Like the Labrador, there was no consistency in use of the various coloured rims.  One or more of the four main rims might be green and the remainder silver.   Once the Voyageurs transitioned to SAR, they were the first to be repainted yellow. As they came out of the paint shop all of their wheel rims were presumably yellow, however in short order you could find yellow Voyageurs and then eventually yellow Labradors that had wheel rims that were, silver, green (for a short time), white and/or yellow.

Arnold in the process of blades track testing is equipped with aluminum wheel rims all round.

Boeing Arnprior photo of 315 with aluminum main wheel rims.

The inconsistent use of coloured rims gives the modeler a great deal of latitude to create a subtle uniqueness to their version of the Labrador or Voyageur.  As aircraft were being rotated through, the paint shop in their maintenance cycles yellow aircraft could still be found to have white rims. It seems that there was consistency only at the time of purchase and after all aircraft had been painted yellow and fitted with radar.

Boeing Arnprior photo of Voyageur 316 with aluminum wheel rims.

Recently repainted yellow, Voyageur 308 has a full set of white rims in this photo.

Voyageur 308 with the very early DND picture wearing full size black RESCUE titles and sporting aluminum wheel rims. This should actually be the first photo in the set of yellow pre-SARCUP Voyageurs.

Voyageur 315 of 413 Squadron is equipped with aluminum wheel rims in the above photograph.

In the shadows of BC mountains, pre-SARCUP Labrador 303 is equipped with yellow nose wheel rims and white main wheel rims. While I have stated the main rims are white, it is conceivable that some of the main rims might in fact be yellow or even aluminum. Photo Robert Harrington

Andy Vanderheyden's picture of 301 shows the SARCP Labrador with yellow wheel rims.

SARCUP Labrador of 424 Squadron, Trenton with yellow wheel rims. Photo Michael Fritz

304 With yellow wheel rims, by the time this photo was taken, all Labradors and Voyageurs will have been painted yellow for some time so it is safe to assume that all wheel rims will also be yellow?

Derek Heyes nice picture of SAR Tech doing a double sky genie descent from SARCUP Voyageur 310 with yellow rims.

DND photo of SARCUP Voyageur 311 with yellow wheel rims.

While Dean Pascoe's photo of SARCUP Voyageur 315 shows its' rims to be yellow, what is interesting about the above photo is the colour of the red on the external fuel tanks. Compare this red to that of other photos throughout the blog.

Photo Patrick Martin