Foster Wikner Wicko

infobox Aircraft
name = Wicko / Warferry
type = Cabin Monoplane
manufacturer = Foster Wikner Aircraft


caption =
designer = Geoffrey N Wikner
first flight = 1936
introduced =
retired =
produced =
number built = 11
status =
unit cost = £650
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Foster Wikner Wicko was a 1930s British two-seat cabin monoplane built by the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited at Southampton Airport, Hampshire.

History

Geoffrey Wikner was an Australian aircraft designer who moved to England in May 1934 and with his partners formed the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited to build a low-cost two-seat high-wing monoplane. Low cost was helped by fitting a standard Ford V.8 water-cooled engine instead of an aero-engine. The V.8 was fitted with a Pobjoy reduction gear and was known as the Wicko F power unit. The prototype aircraft was built at the J.F. Lusty's furniture factory at Bromley-by-Bow. The completed aircraft, designated the Wicko F.W.1 was roaded to Stapleford Aerodrome, Essex and first flew in September 1936. Due to the 450 lb weight of the engine, the aircraft needed a long takeoff run and had a poor rate of climb.

The prototype was rebuilt as the Waco F.W.2 with a Cirrus Minor I engine. This resulted in a reduction in weight but the price increased from £425 to £650. The second and subsequent aircraft were built at Southampton (Eastleigh) Airport after the company moved in 1937. Nine production aircraft were built designated the Waco G.M.1. Due to the start of the Second World War production ceased and the tenth airframe remained unfinished.

One aircraft exported to New Zealand was impressed into wartime service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Aircraft in the United Kingdom were impressed into wartime service with the Royal Air Force under the service name Warferry.

One aircraft first registered as G-AFJB in 1938 is still operational with a permit to fly (as of 2007).

Variants

* Wicko F.W.1 - prototype with Wicko F modified Ford V8 engine
* Wicko F.W.2 - prototype re-engined with Blackburn Cirrus Minor I
* Wicko F.W.3 - fitted with a Blackburn Cirrus Major engine
* Wicko G.M.1 - production version with de Havilland Gipsy Major engine
** Warferry - military version

Operators

;NZL
*Royal New Zealand Air Force;UK
*Royal Air Force
**No. 24 Squadron RAF

pecifications (Wicko G.M.1)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=2
length main= 23 ft 3 in
length alt= 7.09 m
span main= 34 ft 6 in
span alt= 10.52 m
height main= 6 ft 7 in
height alt= 2.01 m
area main= 153 ft²
area alt= 14.21 m²
empty weight main= 1,255 lb
empty weight alt= 569 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 907 kg
engine (prop)=de Havilland Gipsy Major
type of prop= 4-cylinder inverted inline piston
number of props=1
power main= 130 hp
power alt= 97 kW
max speed main= 140 mph
max speed alt= 225 km/h
range main= 480 miles
range alt= 772 km
ceiling main= 20,000 ft
ceiling alt= 6095 m
climb rate main= 800 ft/min
climb rate alt=4.06 m/sec
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
*List of aircraft of the RAF
*List of aircraft of the RNZAF
see also=

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10010 7

External links