Miscellaneous

033259 - THE FIESELER Fi 156 STORCH: THE FIRST STOL AIRCRAFT 

By Jan Forsgren

A concise and profusely illustrated of the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch from 1936 to present day.

• The first all-encompassing English-language history of the legendary Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and its Czech- and French-built variants
• Apart from its use by the Luftwaffe, Storch operators from around the globe, from Albania to Yugoslavia, are covered
• Includes details on aircraft inspired by the Storch’s amazing flight capabilities as well as the various ultralight aircraft since the 1990s
• Beautifully illustrated with many rare and unpublished photographs
• Of interest to aviation and military historians, modellers, gamers and flight simulator enthusiasts

First flown in May 1936, the Fieseler Fi 156, or Storch (Stork) as it was better known, was designed in answer to a request from the Luftwaffe for a short-range reconnaissance aircraft.

For its time, the Fi 156 had amazing performance and flight characteristics for what today is known as STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing). It could take-off from a lawn considerably smaller than a football field.

During the Second World War, the ubiquitous Storch was the airborne eyes of the German Wehrmacht (Army) and was also used on daring missions, including the rescue of Mussolini, the Italian dictator.

One of the last flights into Berlin was made in a Storch. Many were sold to Germany’s allies while one was used by Churchill after D-Day to observe the progress of the invasion. Others were used by the RAF as squadron ‘hacks’ with one being flown off an aircraft carrier.

The STOL concept was copied by many countries, including France, Japan and the USSR. Post-war, production continued in Czechoslovakia, France and Romania with more than 3,000 built. Some are still today flying.