Naugle Mercury N-1 / Mercury N-2 / Midwest Mercury

Mercury N-1 NX28646

The Mercury N-1 of 1940 was a two place all-metal monoplane featuring a unique X-spar, slotted cantilever wing with interchangeable front and rear spars. Only the one was built, NX28646, and retractable landing gear was planned for production models, of which none were built. The N-2 designation was apparently for this one, and specs were the same except for higher speeds (projected: Maximum 155 mph / Cruise 138 mph / Stall 55mph).

Production was curtailed by the war but the design reappeared in 1947 as the Midwest Mercury.

N-1
Engine: Lycoming GO-145, 75hp
Wing span: 30’0″
Length: 20’6″
Useful load: 610 lb
Max speed: 142 mph
Cruise speed: 138 mph
Stall: 43 mph
Range: 450 mi
Seats: 2

Nationale Vliegtuigindustrie Industrie FK.31

N.V.I. F.K.31

A fighter/reconnaissance aircraft, this biplane was designed by Fre¬derik Koothoven in the early 1920s for the NV (Nationale Vliegtuigindustrie, national aircraft industry), a small number being pro¬duced in 1924 25. Powered by a 400 hp Bris¬tol Jupiter radial engine, it seated a pilot and observer/gunner in tandem open cockpits, operating respectively two fixed, forward ¬firing machine guns and two ring mounted.

Reconnaissance versions sometimes carried a fifth gun, firing downward through the floor of the rear cockpit. Performance was not up to LVA (Luchtvaartafdeling, army air service) requirements, but the F.K.31 was used until about 1930 by the Netherlands East Indies army air service as a fighter trainer.

The Finnish air force operated 12 over a similar period, four of them built in Finland under licence. Louis de Monge in France also built a few, with Gnome Rhone (Bristol) Jupiter engines.

Gross weight: 1760 kg (3880 lb)
Maximum speed: 235 km/h (146 mph)