Came across a story in the local paper this week about an early Ford racing car which is on loan the the Queensland Transport Museum at Gatton for the next six months. The owner bought it complete, but dismantled for 14 quid, 53 years ago, and it wasn't until 1994 that he was informed of it's history. Turns out it was the first racing car built in Australia in 1922 by Australian aircraft designer, Captain Geoff Wikner, to try to attract backers for his aviation ventures.Not knowing anything about Geoff Wickner, I did a bit of reading up and it sounds like an interesting story. He migrated to England in the early 30's and in partnership as the Foster Wickner Aircraft Co. Ltd., built the Wicko. Ford pops up here again as the early models had a modified Ford V8 engine, re-engined later with a 90hp Cirrus Minor. Production ceased at the start of the war, and in 1946, he bought a Halifax, loaded it up with people and flew it to Australia. Seems like he built a couple of planes in Australia before he moved to England - the Wicko, and the Wicko Lion.
Here's a Queensland Air Museum link which has a photo of a replica, and one of the Wikner Ford Special as well:
HI FOLKS - JUST SAW THIS - AM RETD. A+P - HAVE DAMAGED EYES , HAVE TO USE CAPS. , IF NFG THEN WILL CEASE TRANSMISSION. I LIVED AT BNK. NEXT TO GEOFF WIKNER - HE BUILT AND FLEW A HELO WITH NO TAIL ROTOR LONG BEFORE HUGHES . HE WORKED AT REX AV. - I JUST BOUGHT HIS BOOK - THE FLIGHT OF THE HALIFAX , NOT GREAT , BUT HE TRUSTED NO ONE AFTER HIS EXPERIENCES WITH FOSTER. HE HAD LOTS OF RELICS ETC. OF HIS AV. CAREER . LATER I MET KEN WIKNER AT CARRINGTON SLIPWAYS AS OUR CHRISTIE G.S.E. WAS ON BOARD HMAS TOBRUK THAT THEY HAD JUST BUILT . HE IS LISTED IN FLYPAST - THE HISTORY OF C.A.A. AVIATION -THANX J.C.
Captain Geoff Wikner.
in Aviation Enthusiasts
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