The Nord Pingouin (, ''Auk'') is a French-built, re-engined Messerschmitt Bf 108 ''Taifun'' produced by SNCAN (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Nord).

Development

In 1942 the manufacture of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 was transferred to SNCAN (usually known as Nord) at

Les Mureaux Les Mureaux () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Population Transport Les Mureaux is served by Les ...

in occupied France. Before the liberation, 170 Bf 108s were built and Nord continued to build the aircraft using scavenged Bf 108 airframe parts as the Nord 1000, until stocks of German Argus engines were exhausted. The type was then re-engined with a 233 hp (174 kW) Renault 6Q-11 six-cylinder inline engine and was designated the Nord 1001 Pingouin I. A further update followed with a Renault 6Q-10 powered variant which was designated the Nord 1002 Pingouin II. Total production was 286 with the majority used as communications and liaison aircraft with the French armed forces. The design was further developed with the tricycle landing gear

Nord Noralpha The Nord 1100 Noralpha is a French-built and re-engined Messerschmitt Bf 108 produced by Nord Aviation. Development Construction of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 was transferred to the ''Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Nord'' (u ...

Design

The Pingouin was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a braced trimmable horizontal tail surface with elevators, and a single fin and rudder. It had a tailwheel landing gear with outward-retracting main gear. The engine was nose-mounted and the Pingouin had an enclosed cabin that seated four in two rows of two. Like the Bf 108, the wings had automatic

leading edge slats A slat is an aerodynamic surface on the leading edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. When retracted, the slat lies flush with the rest of the wing. A slat is deployed by sliding forward, opening a slot between the wing and the slat. Air from ...

and could be folded when the aircraft was on the ground, allowing the complete aircraft to be transported by rail.Hitchcock, Thomas H. ''Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (Monogram Close-Up 5)''. Acton, MA: Monogram Aviation Publications, 1979.

Variants

;1000 :French-built Bf 108. ;1001 Pingouin I : Renault 6Q-11 powered variant. ;1002 Pingouin II : Renault 6Q-10 powered variant.

Operators

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French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

Specifications (1002)

References

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External links

Aircraft World Directory
{{Nord aircraft 1940s French military utility aircraft Pingouin Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1944 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear