Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

Fieseler · Germany · first flew 1936 · light aircraft

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork) was a German liaison and observation aircraft famous for its extraordinary short-field performance, capable of taking off in 60 metres and landing in 20 metres.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.9 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Extraordinarily large slotted leading-edge and flap system for STOL
Greenhouse cabin on tall stalky undercarriage legs
Argus As 10 inverted-V engine in long cowling

Unmistakable due to the extraordinarily large wing with full-span slats and slotted flaps, the greenhouse cockpit perched on tall spring-oleo undercarriage legs, and the inverted-V engine with a narrow nose; no other WWII aircraft has the same spindly, insect-like appearance.

Specifications

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch has a length of 9.9 m (32 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.25 m (47 ft).
Its maximum speed is 175 km/h (109 mph).
Typical crew: 1-3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Entering Luftwaffe service in 1937, the Storch became indispensable for liaison, casualty evacuation, and VIP transport. Its most famous mission was the July 1943 rescue of Mussolini from Gran Sasso by Otto Skorzeny's commandos, flown in an Fi 156.

Variants

The Fi 156A and C were the main series; licence production was undertaken in Czechoslovakia (as the Mráz K.65 Čáp) and France (Morane-Saulnier MS.500 Criquet), which remained in production and service well into the 1950s.

Where you'll see it

Served with the Luftwaffe in all theatres; French-built Criquets saw action in Indochina and Algeria; the type remains in private hands today.

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