VH-UPW  Wickner Wicko                                           (c/n  1)

                               

                                     Geoffrey Wickner was a cousin of Edgar Percival, and was another Australian who designed aircraft
                                     and eventually set up manufacture in England.    In the early 1930s he designed the Wicko Cabin
                                     Sports monoplane.  The original plan was to market it under the name Aircraft of Australia, registered
                                     in Brisbane, although in the event the business was soured by his dishonest partner.  The Wicko was,
                                     in fact, the first aircraft to be completely designed and built in Queensland.  The above image is from
                                     the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland collection, and shows the original machine at
                                     Archerfield, before the registration was applied (if it ever was). The photo immediately below is from
                                     the Len Dobbin collection (via the Civil Aviation Historical Society archives).    Originally designed to
                                     accept a 40 h.p. Sezekley engine, Wickner was unable to acquire one and instead installed a repaired
                                     80 h.p. six cylinder Anzani radial engine from his Farman Sports biplane.  (Naturally it went like a
                                     bomb with twice the power).  Unfortunately DCA would not issue a Certificate of Airworthiness for
                                     the aircraft as it was deemed understrength for the 80 h.p. engine, and a year after its first registration
                                     (February 1931) its Certificate of Registration lapsed.   By now the Depression had hit Australia and
                                     Wickner left to go to England where he was later to produce (in limited numbers) the Foster Wickner
                                     Wicko.   The remains of the original Wicko Sports are held in the Queensland Museum.  In the mean-
                                     time, a replica has been built (seen below in this shot by Ron Cuskelly) and hangs in the Queensland
                                     Air Museum at Caloundra.     For the complete history of Wickner and this aircraft go to the QAM's
                                     site at:
                                                             http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/wicko/VH-UPW.htm