A hot-air (HA) drawing method has been applied to poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) fibers in order to improve their mechanical properties. The HA drawing was carried out by blowing hot-air controlled at a constant temperature against an original PEN fiber connected to a weight. As the hot-air blew against the fiber at a flow rate of 90 l/min, the fiber elongated instantaneously at a strain rate in the range from 15.9 to 25.2 s(-1). The strain rate during the HA drawing increased with increasing drawing temperature and applied tension. When the HA drawing was carried out at a drawing temperature of 250 degrees C under an applied tension of 17.4 MPa, the strain rate had the highest value of 25.2 s(-1). Draw ratio, birefringence, crystallite orientation factor, and mechanical properties increased as the strain rate increased. The fiber drawn at the highest strain rate had a birefringence of 0.436, degree of crystallinity of 45%, tensile modulus of 29 GPa, and dynamic storage modulus of 30 GPa at 25 degrees C. The mechanical properties of the fiber obtained had almost the same values as those of zone-annealed PEN fibers.