Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, developed by German manufacturer Fieseler in the late 1930s, became one of the most distinctive liaison and observation aircraft of World II. Conceived by chief designer Reinhold Mewes, its first flight occurred in 1937 and the type entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1939. The Storch’s most celebrated attribute was its extraordinary short‑take‑off and landing capability, achieved through a combination of highly cambered, slotted leading edges, full‑span flaps, and a lightweight 14‑meter wing equipped with fixed, wide‑track landing gear. Powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10 air‑cooled inverted V‑8 engine, it could clear a 30‑meter obstacle after a 60‑meter ground run and touch down within 20 meters, allowing operation from improvised fields, clearings, or even ship decks.

Its spacious, glazed cockpit offered excellent visibility for artillery spotting, medical evacuation, and command liaison duties. The Storch performed several daring rescues, most famously the 1941 extraction of Italian dictator Mussolini from a mountain hideout. After the war, the aircraft remained in service with several civil operators and military forces, influencing the design of later STOL platforms such as the de Havilland Canada DHC‑2 Beaver. The Fi 156’s blend of simplicity, ruggedness, and field performance secured its legacy as a pioneering STOL workhorse.

Fieseler

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification