Captain Geoff Wikner.

[willedoo]

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:

 

http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/wicko/VH-UPW.htm

 

Another link to his account of the flight to Australia in the Halifax:

 

http://www.wicko.com/wickowalzingmatilda.htm

 

There's been a biography written as well, looks interesting:

 

http://www.ozatwar.com/books/foth.htm

 

Cheers, Willie.

 

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[willedoo]

A couple of photos taken today of the Wikner Ford Special built by Australian pioneer aviator, Captain Geoff Wikner. Currently at the Queensland Transport Museum.

 

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[siznaudin]

A friend of ours here in Adelaide worked for Bristol during WW II and was involved in the engine prep work on the Halifax prior to the flight out to Australia.

 

The Wikner Special ran at Lobethal Grand Carnival in 2008. Very brief clip here...

 

It runs a Rajo overhead valve conversion and sounds VERY good.

 

 

[willedoo]

A friend of ours here in Adelaide worked for Bristol during WW II and was involved in the engine prep work on the Halifax prior to the flight out to Australia.The Wikner Special ran at Lobethal Grand Carnival in 2008. Very brief clip here...

 

Thanks for the link, very short clip, but good. According to the local newspaper article, it could do about 160kph. Looking forward to reading the book of his account of the flight out here in the Halifax.

Cheers, Willie.

 

 

[SUNDERLAND]

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:

 

http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/wicko/VH-UPW.htm

 

Another link to his account of the flight to Australia in the Halifax:

 

Wicko Walzing Matilda

 

There's been a biography written as well, looks interesting:

 

Flight of the Halifax, the Biography of Captain G.N. Wikner, Australian Pioneer Aviator, compiled by Norman Mitchell

 

Cheers, Willie.

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.

 

 

[John H M]

Hullo

I am now 80 years old and have fond memories of "Mr. Wikner" as he was to me when our family stayed at Halifax Park in the 1950's.

Typically great fun was the garbage run around the park, being towed in the trailer behing a Willeys jeep and then off to the dump. The place was a kid's paradise, partly because of "Mr Wickner". He also helped us kids cut the lead of the armoury benches behind the gun emplacement and then melt it down and cast it for diving weights. Payment was a lobster or few.

He built a large trawler next to his house in the park but I never saw it in the water.

My dad thought he was one of the most likeable and capable persons he ever knew.

John

[facthunter]

It's pretty much T ford with an aftermarket RAJA Rajo. OHV head, Other people did similar things before 1922. Some later engines were fitted with the "A" model crank as the T model used to twist off at the flywheel end with the extra output.  Nev

[facthunter]

The correct Name is RAJO made in Racine Wisconsin. It would be 45 years since I saw one. Some were used on trucks. Bit prone to cracking. There was also  a Rocky Mountain 2 speed diff available.   Nev

[planedriver]

What a knowlegable man,

Nev possibly also adjusted the side-valves tappets beacause I know he's not real keen on those hydraulic lifter thingies 

 

[onetrack]

I always understood the two-speed rear axle for the Ford cars and trucks was a Ruckstell. I believe there were Rocky Mountain brakes available for the Model T, but I've never heard of a Rocky Mountain 2-speed rear axle.

 

The Ruckstell Two Speed Axle Part 1 – Model T Ford Fix

MODELTFORDFIX.COM

 

The Ruckstell Two Speed Axle Part 2 – Model T Ford Fix

MODELTFORDFIX.COM

 

Installing Rocky Mountain Brakes – Model T Ford Fix

MODELTFORDFIX.COM

 

[facthunter]

AS it's at least 45 years since I was involved with the two speed rear axle and I relied entirely on memory, perhaps The Ruckstell axle I saw had the Rocky mountain brakes also. I googled for ages and didn't find much info. Revisiting the  after market  OHV head I'm not that sure I'd want to play with one at all. It's likely to have  poor cooling and distortion. The original motor proved to be quite a remarkable thing in service. Hudson Fysh surveyed from Longreach to Darwin for QANTAS on NO roads with a T model truck. Vanadium steel is used extensively for Axles and crank shaft. and the "USUAL" FORD suspension and stabiliser bar set up The gearbox is Sun and Planetary and the coils  make a prolonged spark by using a buzzer.There is no oil pump The oil is lifted by the flywheel dipping in it and it runs into a drain along the side of the Block feeding the Mains and big end s eventually  by splash. Usually there's no tappet adjustment. You make them the correct size at assembly and it goes for a long time because of the Large areas of contact provided on the Valve stem ends.     I used to despise the things when I first worked on them  and It took me a long time to realise what an inspired design it was to work so well for so many years in less than ideal conditions at a price that anyone could afford. Nev