NVI F.K.31 was a Dutch designed parasol wing two seat reconnaissance-fighter, which was developed in the 1920s by Frederick Koolhoven. The aircraft saw some service in the

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; fi, Ilmavoimat, , Air forces; sv, Flygvapnet, , Air weapon) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of Finnis ...

History

The F.K.31 became Koolhoven's first design for the ''N.V. Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie'' ("National Aircraft Industry") a two-seat scout and fighter. Its prototype became the sensation of the Paris Air Salon of 1922. However, the production of the F.K.31 met with many difficulties, forcing the N.V. Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie to close down. Further development was carried out in France, resulting in the De Monge M.101 C2, but only a single example was built, powered by a

Gnome & Rhône 9Ac The Bristol Jupiter was a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developments turn ...

radial engine.

Use in Finland

The

used twelve F.K.31s between 1926-1932. The aircraft had been purchased while the development still was being carried out. The Finnish pilots disliked the aircraft and the Finnish Air Force F.K.31s flew for fewer than 6 hours each. The Koolhoven F.K.31 was called ''Kolho'' ("Clumsy") or ''Kolhovene'' ("Clumsy Boat") in the Finnish Air Force.

Operators

; *

; * LA-KNIL

Specifications

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nvi F.K.31 F.K.31 1920s Dutch military reconnaissance aircraft Parasol-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1923 Aircraft of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army