Wheels - Specifically rim colours

Wheels

While some modelers build straight out of the box and paint according to the instructions, many modelers try to set their build a part from other similar builds. To do this subtlety will often do the trick. Today's blog is all about subtlety. As I sometimes try to do, I will again today let the pictures do most of the talking...I will simply point out what many will not have noticed. 

As you would expect with the military there were specific colours authorized for the wheel rims on both 113 variants, however 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, blue 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.

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.

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.!

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.

At QEPE 401 is shown with white and blue rims.

I believe 402 is wearing aluminum coloured rims?

A mixture of green and aluminum.