Fieseler Fi 156
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The Fieseler Fi 156 ''Storch'' (, "
stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...
") is a
liaison aircraft A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. Operation The concept developed before Worl ...
designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Fieseler. Its nickname of '' Storch'' was derived from the lengthy legs of its main
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
, which gave the aircraft a similar appearance to that of the long-legged, big-winged bird. Developed during the mid 1930s in response to a request from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (''Reich Aviation Ministry'' or RLM), the Fi 156 was an affordable and easy to construct aircraft purpose designed for the liaison, army co-operation, and
medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and ...
roles. On 24 May 1936, the Fi 156 V1 performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
; the first deliveries took place less than a year later. It was well regarded for its excellent short field (
STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
) performance and low stalling speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). Around 2,900 aircraft of various models, the most commonplace being the ''Fi 156C'', were produced between 1937 and 1945. The Fi 156 quickly became popular on the export market, eventually being widely used by various nations. Numerous countries deployed their aircraft in a military capacity across various theatres of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The Fi 156 was extensively operated by the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
, who often used it in the
aerial reconnaissance Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or Strategy, strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including Artillery observer, artillery spott ...
role and less often as a troop transport. German aircraft saw action on the Eastern Front, Western Front, the Western Desert, and even the
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
. During September 1943, the Storch played a pivotal role in ''Operation Eiche'', the rescue of deposed Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
from a boulder-strewn mountain-top near the Gran Sasso. On 26 April 1945, a ''Storch'' was one of the last aircraft to land on the improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten near the
Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin t ...
during the Battle of Berlin. During the conflict, several ''Störche'' were captured by the Allies; several were used as the personal aircraft of high ranking officers such as
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
,
Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...
Arthur Coningham, and Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst. Even after the end of the conflict, production of the type continued in other countries into the 1950s, both for the private market and military operators. In addition to Germany, additional production lines had been established in France, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, there have been many attempts to recreate or imitate the Fi 156, including several three-quarter scale
homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
, such as the Pazmany PL-9 Stork, RagWing RW19 Stork, and STOL King. The Slepcev Storch and French-built later variants of the original aircraft have often appeared at air shows and other flying events. Numerous flight-worthy aircraft are still operational into the twenty-first century.


Development


Background and selection

During 1935, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (''Reich Aviation Ministry'' or RLM) issued in invitation to several aviation companies to submit their proposals for a new aircraft for the ''
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
'' that was to be suitable for the roles of liaison, army co-operation (today called
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
), and
medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and ...
. The German aircraft manufacturer Fieseler quickly took an interest in the new requirement and opted to produce its own clean sheet design, which was largely conceived of by chief designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director Erich Bachem. This new aircraft, which was subsequently assigned the ''Fi 156'' designation, was specifically designed to achieve particularly strong short take off and landing ("
STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
") performance. In addition to Fieseler's submission, competing proposals were submitted from various other aircraft manufacturers, including Weser Flugzeugbau and Siebel in the form of the Bf 163 and Si 201 respectively.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 142. While the Bf 163 broadly resembled the Fi 156, the Si 201 was a relatively unorthodox aircraft; all three designs were evaluated in depth by officials. The Fi 156 emerged as the favoured submission, in part due to its relatively cheap and straightforward construction offered in its design. On 24 May 1936, the Fi 156 V1, registered ''D-IKVN'', performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
; it was quickly followed by a further four prototypes. From an early stage, the company had envisioned two different production versions, the ''Fi 156A'' and ''Fi 156B'', the latter having movable
leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
slots instead of the formers' fixed slot arrangement. The first production standard aircraft were delivered in early 1937.


German production

About 2,900 Fi 156s, the majority being of the ''Fi 156C'' model, were produced between 1937 and 1945. The principal production line was at the Fieseler Factory in
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
. During 1942, production started in the Morane-Saulnier factory at
Puteaux Puteaux () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the heart of the Hauts-de-Seine department, from the centre of Paris. La Défense, Paris's business district hosting the tallest buildings in the metropolitan ...
in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Due to the demand for Fieseler as a subcontractor for building the Fw 190, Fi 156 production was shifted to Leichtbau Budweis in Budweis by the end of 1943. Factories in other countries under German control manufactured aircraft, including Fi 156s, for Germany.


Soviet production

In 1939, after the signing of the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact and the Nazi–Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Ge ...
, Germany provided several aircraft, including the Fi 156C, to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Oleg Antonov was made responsible for putting the aircraft into production to meet Soviet requirements, and given a choice between designing an equivalent aircraft or copying the German design, the latter was selected. The aircraft was titled OKA-38 and two versions were envisaged: the SS three seat liaison aircraft, and the N-2 air ambulance capable of carrying two stretchers plus a medic. A prototype was constructed in Factory No. 365, established on the basis of Lithuanian Military Aviation Works, in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
, recently occupied
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. The first prototype was built in Factory No. 23 in
Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and flew before the end of 1940. The production in Kaunas has just started as the factory was lost to the German advance in 1941. While Antonov's efforts had produced a heavier aircraft, which required as much as three times the field for landing and take off as the German Fi 156C (160 m vs 55 m), it also had much greater range and increased load capability. After the conflict, Antonov went on to design the legendary An-2 STOL biplane, which also has excellent STOL performance.


Production in Czechoslovakia

In 1944, production was moved from the Leichtbau Budweis to the Mráz factory in Choceň which produced 138 examples of the Fi 156, locally designated as "K-65 Čáp" (i.e. stork in Czech). Production ended during 1949.


Production in France

During the Second World War, the French manufacturer Morane-Saulnier was operated under German control, during which time it built German types including the Storch. Immediately after the liberation of France in 1944, the production of the Fi 156 at the Morane-Saulnier factory was continued at the request of the ''
Armée de l'Air 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 ...
''. The resulting batch of aircraft produced with the remaining stock of Argus air-cooled inverted V8 engines were designated ''MS 500 Criquet''. Aircraft with further modifications and different engines ( inline and radial) received various different type numbers. The use of the aircraft in
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
highlighted the weakness of wood for the construction of the airframe; thus it was decided to build the wings out of metal instead. Among the modifications, the defensive weapon aiming through the back window was dropped, although some aircraft were modified in the field to take a MAC 34T machine gun firing through one of the side windows. Some 141 aircraft were built before the end of the Second World War while a total of 925 aircraft were built before the end of the production of all types of ''Criquet'' by Morane-Saulnier in 1965.


Production in Romania

Licence production was started in Romania in October 1943 at the ICAR factory in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. Only 10 were built by the time the ICAR factory was bombed in May 1944. Production resumed later that year, but only six were completed before repair work halted production. Between June 1945 and 1946, a further 64 aircraft were built.Axworthy et al. 1995, pp. 249–250.


Summary of production

Production per factory and per type until 31 March 1945:


Modern developments

Because of its superb STOL characteristics, there have been many attempts to recreate or copy the ''Storch'', mainly in the form of various three-quarter scale
homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
, such as the Pazmany PL-9 Stork, Roger Mann's RagWing RW19 Stork, and Preceptors STOL King. As an example, the Slepcev Storch is a three-quarter scale reproduction of the original with some simplifications. The use of modern materials provides better STOL performance than the original with a take-off run of 30 m and landing-roll of 50 m with no headwind. It was originally designed and manufactured in Australia and is now manufactured in Serbia.


Design

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a high-wing
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
that was particularly effective in terms of its short take off and landing ("
STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
") performance. Its nickname of '' Storch'' was derived from the lengthy legs of its main
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
, which hung down during flight and gave the aircraft the appearance of a long-legged, big-winged bird. As a product of its relatively low landing speed, the ''Storch'' often gave the appearance of landing vertically, or even backwards, when flying directly into strong winds. The aircraft was typically crewed by three personnel seated with its enclosed cabin, which was extensively glazed as to provide generous external views.Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 142-143. The structure was composed of welded
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
tubing while the covering was
fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...
. Both the tail unit and wings were composed of wood, the latter being clad in
plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...
.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 143. The Fi 156 had relatively lengthy wings for its size. A fixed slat ran along the entire length of the wing's
leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
while a hinged and slotted set of control surfaces ran along the entire length of
trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...
. This arrangement was allegedly inspired by an earlier
Junkers Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...
wing design concept, referred to as a ''Doppelflügel'' or "double-wing" aircraft wing control surface. On the Fi 156, this setup along each wing panel's trailing edge was split nearly 50/50 between the inboard-located flaps and outboard-located
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...
s, which, in turn, included
trim tab Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger Flight control surfaces, control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the ...
devices over half of each aileron's trailing edge length. This combination of flaps and slats has been heavily attributed for the aircraft's favourable STOL performance.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 145. An uncommon feature for land-based aircraft was the ability to fold back the wings of the aircraft along the fuselage, which was somewhat similar to the wings of the Royal Navy's
Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish is a retired biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was a ...
torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the World War I, First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carryin ...
; when folded, the aircraft could be carried on a trailer or even directly towed (albeit slowly) behind a vehicle. The primary hinge for the folding wing was located in the wing root, where the rear wing spar met the cabin. The long legs of the main
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
was furnished with both oil and spring-based
shock absorber A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulics, hydraulic device designed to absorb and Damping ratio, damp shock (mechanics), shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typic ...
s that had a travel of 40 cm (15-3/4 inches), sufficient to permit landings to be conducted on comparatively rough and uneven surfaces; this was combined with a "pre-travel" distance of 20 cm, before the oleos began damping the landing gear shock. While initial models were unarmed, starting with the C-2 variant, the Fi 156 was fitted with a raised, fully-glazed position for a flexible rear-firing
MG 15 The MG 15 was a German 7.92 mm machine gun designed specifically as a hand-manipulated defensive gun for combat aircraft during the early 1930s. By 1941 it was replaced by other types and found new uses with ground troops. History The MG ...
7.92mm machine gun for self-defense.


Operational history


Second World War

The ''Storch'' was extensively operated by the ''Luftwaffe''. Several reconnaissance units operated the type, such as Aufklärungsgruppe 14 and Aufklärungsgruppe 21. Furthermore, each
Geschwader This is a list of words, terms, concepts, and slogans that have been or are used by the German military. Ranks and translations of nicknames for vehicles are included. Also included are some general terms from the German language found frequently ...
was provided with at least one, if not multiple, Fi 156s. Numerous high ranking German officials, particularly members of the
General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...
, had their own Fi 156s, including Field Marshals
Albert Kesselring Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 – 16 July 1960) was a German military officer and convicted war crime, war criminal who served in the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. In a career which spanned both world wars, Kesselring reached the ra ...
and
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...
.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 146. Throughout the Second World War, the Fi 156 was deployed in quantity to virtually all theatres that
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
was militarily active upon; as such, it saw usage in the Eastern Front, Western Front, the Western Desert, and even the
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
.Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 145-146. During the German invasion of Belgium, in addition to its more routine usage in the liaison role, around 100 Fi 156s were used to transport a battalion of Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland, two men per aircraft, landing on a stretch of road behind enemy lines (Operation Niwi). During the
North African campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...
, the
Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...
made routine use of the ''Storch'' both for transportation and to conduct aerial surveillance. It was also operated by a pair of dedicated desert rescue squadrons to retrieve stranded pilots in this theatre. During September 1943, the Storch played a pivotal role in ''Operation Eiche'', the rescue of deposed Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
from a boulder-strewn mountain-top near the Gran Sasso. Even though the mountain was surrounded by Italian troops, German
commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...
Otto Skorzeny and 90
paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...
s used gliders to land on the peak and quickly captured it, then faced the problem of getting back. A
Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 ''Drache'' () was a helicopter developed by Germany during World War II. A single Bramo 323 radial engine powered two three-bladed rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the cylindrical fuselage. Although th ...
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
was sent, but it broke down en route. Instead, pilot Heinrich Gerlach flew in a ''Storch''. It landed in 30 m (100 ft), and after Mussolini and Skorzeny boarded, it took off after a run of 80 m (250 ft), even though the aircraft was overloaded. The ''Storch'' used in rescuing Mussolini bore the radio code letters, or ''Stammkennzeichen'', of "SJ + LL" in the motion picture coverage of the daring rescue. On 26 April 1945, a ''Storch'' was one of the last aircraft to land on the improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten near the
Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin t ...
during the Battle of Berlin and the death throes of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. It was flown by the test pilot
Hanna Reitsch Hanna Reitsch (29 March 1912 – 24 August 1979) was a German Pilot (aeronautics), aviator and test pilot. Along with Melitta von Stauffenberg, she flight-tested many of Germany's new aircraft during World War II and received many hono ...
, who flew ''Generalfeldmarschall''
Robert Ritter von Greim Robert Ritter von Greim (born Robert Greim; 22 June 1892 – 24 May 1945) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field marshal) and First World War flying ace. In April 1945, in the last days of World War II in Europe, Adolf Hitler appointed Gre ...
from
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
to Berlin to answer a summons from Hitler.Smith and Kay 1972, p. 147. A ''Storch'' was the final aircraft to be shot down by the Allies on the Western Front, and another was forced down by an L-4 Grasshopper, the military version of the American
Piper J-3 Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...
civilian training and sport aircraft and a direct Allied counterpart of the Storch. The pilot and co-pilot of the L-4, lieutenants Duane Francis and Bill Martin, opened fire on the ''Storch'' with their .45 caliber pistols, forcing the German air crew to land and surrender. During the conflict, several ''Störche'' were captured by the Allies. One became the personal aircraft of British
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
. Others were used as the personal aircraft of Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham and Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst, who acquired his ''Storch'' in North Africa, and flew it subsequently in Italy and North-West Europe. The British captured 145 Fi 156s, of which 64 were given to the French as war compensation from Germany.


Postwar activities

Both the
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 ...
(''Armée de l'Air'') and the French Army Light Aviation (''Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre'') operated the ''Criquet'' between 1945 and 1958. Accordingly, the type saw battlefield service in French hands during both the
Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between France and Việt Minh ( Democratic Rep ...
and the
Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
. The
Swiss Air Force The Swiss Air Force (; ; ; ) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914, three days after the outbreak of World War I, as a part of the Swiss Army, army and in October 1936 as an independent service. In peaceti ...
, as well as several other mountainous European countries, continued to use the ''Storch'' to conduct rescue operations in challenging terrain where STOL performance was necessary. One of the more historically significant operations involving the type was the Gauli Glacier crash rescue in November 1946, where a pair of ''Flugwaffe''-flown Storches were the sole means of safely retrieving the twelve survivors of the crash. After the Second World War, numerous aircraft were used in utility roles, including agricultural spraying. Even into the twenty-first century, numerous Storches have remained operational, the type has become a common sight at air shows. In North America, both the
Collings Foundation The Collings Foundation is a private non-profit educational foundation located in Stow, Massachusetts, with a mission dedicated to the preservation and public display of transportation-related history, namely automobile and aviation history. The ...
and the
Fantasy of Flight Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Kendall-Tamiami E ...
museum have airworthy Fi 156 ''Storch'' aircraft in their collections.


Variants

* Fi 156 V1: Prototype equipped with an adjustable metal propeller, registration D-IKVN (produced in 1935–1936) * Fi 156 V2: Prototype equipped with a wooden propeller. First prototype to fly (May 10, 1936). registration D-IDVS (produced in 1935–1936) * Fi 156 V3: Prototype identical to the V2. Test machine for various radio equipment, registration D-IGLI (produced in 1936) * Fi 156 V4: Prototype identical to the V3. Skis for landing gear and disposable auxiliary tank. (produced in 1936–1937) * Fi 156 V5: Production prototype for A-series. (produced in 1937) * Fi 156 A-0: Pre-production aircraft, identical to the V3. Ten aircraft were produced. (produced in 1937–1938) * Fi 156 A-1: First production models for service, ordered into production by the ''Luftwaffe'' with an order for 16 aircraft, the first production aircraft entered service in mid-1937. Some sources cite that only six were effectively produced. (produced in 1938) * Fi 156 B: Fitted with a new system which could retract the normally fixed leading edge slats and had minor aerodynamic cleanups, boosting the speed to 208 km/h (130 mph). The ''Luftwaffe'' did not consider such a small difference to be important and the Fi-156 B was not produced. * Fi 156 C-0: Pre-production. Essentially a "flexible" version of the A model. (produced in 1939) * Fi 156 C-1: Three-seat liaison version. (produced in 1939–1940) * Fi 156 C-2: Two-seat observation type, which had a raised, fully glazed rear dorsal gun position for mounting a MG 15 machine gun for defense. (produced in 1940) * Fi 156 C-3: Replaced the C-1 and C-2 with a "universal cockpit" suited for any role. (produced in 1940–1941) * Fi 156 C-3/Trop: Version adapted for tropical and desert conditions. Filtered intakes. (produced in 1940–1942) * Fi 156 C-5: Addition of a belly
hardpoint A hardpoint is an attachment location on a structural frame designed to transfer force and carry an external or internal structural load, load. The term is usually used to refer to the mounting points (more formally known as a weapon station o ...
for a camera pod or jettisionable auxiliary tanks. Some were fitted with skis, rather than wheels, for operation on snow. (produced in 1941–1945) * Fi 156 C-5/Trop: Version adapted for tropical and desert conditions. Filtered intakes. (produced in 1941–1945) * Fi 156 C-7: Three-seat liaison version. "Flat" cockpit glazing similar to the C-1. * Fi 156 D-0: Pre-production version of the air ambulance version of the C model with a larger cockpit and extra rear fuselage-location starboard-side door for stretcher accommodation. Powered by an Argus As 10P engine. (produced in 1941) * Fi 156 D-1: Production version of the D-0. (produced in 1942–1945) * Fi 156 E-0: Liaison version identical to the C-1; 10 pre-production aircraft were fitted with tracked landing gear and were produced in 1941–1942. * Fi 156 F or P: Counter insurgency version. Identical to the C-3 with machine guns in side windows and bomb-racks and smoke layers. (produced in 1942) * Fi 156 U: Anti-submarine version. Identical to the C-3 with depth charge. (produced in 1940) * Fi 156 K-1: Export version of the C-1 (Bought by Sweden). * Fi 256: A five-seat civil version; two were built by Morane-Saulnier.Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 146-147. * MS.500: Liaison version. French produced with 240 hp French built Argus engine, as the Fi 156 had used. * MS.501: With a 233 hp Renault 6Q inverted, air-cooled "straight six" engine instead of the Argus inverted V8. * MS.502: Liaison version. Identical to the MS-500, with the Argus engine replaced by a 230 hp Salmson 9ab radial engine. * MS.504: with a 304 hp
Jacobs R-755 The Jacobs R-755 (company designation L-4) is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company. Design and development The R-755 was first run in 1933 and was sti ...
-A2 radial engine. * MS.505: Observation version of the MS-500 with the Argus engine replaced by a 304 hp
Jacobs R-755 The Jacobs R-755 (company designation L-4) is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company. Design and development The R-755 was first run in 1933 and was sti ...
-A2 radial engine. * MS.506: with a 235 hp Lycoming engine. * Mráz K-65 Čáp: Production in Czechoslovakia after World War II. * Antonov OKA-38 ''Aist'' ("stork" in Russian): An unlicensed Soviet copy of the Fi 156, powered by a copy of a Renault MV-6 inverted, air-cooled straight-six engine (similar to the Renault 6Q), was starting production as the factory was overrun by German forces in 1941


Operators

;: Bulgarian Air Force ;: Royal Khmer Aviation - AVRK (Post war) and Khmer Air Force (KAF) ;: Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia ; *
Czechoslovak Air Force The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia c ...
(Post war) * Police aviation ( cs) (Post war) ;:
Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) () is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all military aircraft, including those used in support of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy ...
;: Finnish Air Force ; *
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 ...
(Post war) *
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 ...
(Post war) *
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 ...
(Post war) ;:
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
;:
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
;: Royal Hellenic Air Force (Post war) ;:
Royal Hungarian Air Force The Hungarian Air Force (, ), is the air force branch of the Military of Hungary, Hungarian Defence Forces. The primary focus of the present Hungarian Air Force lies in defensive operations. The flying units operate are organised into a single ...
;: Regia Aeronautica ;: Royal Lao Air Force (Post war) ; *
Royal Moroccan Air Force The Royal Moroccan Air Force (; ; ) is the air force of the Moroccan Armed Forces. History The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the Sherifian Royal Aviation (). Its modern installations and bases were inherited from France (Bass ...
(Post war) ;:
Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) () is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees (officers, enlisted ...
(Post war) ;: *
Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...
(Post war) * Polish Navy (Post war) ; * Royal Romanian Air Force * Romanian Air Force (Post war) ;: Slovak Air Force (1939–1945) ;: Republic of Vietnam Air Force (Post war) ;:
Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
;: Spanish Air Force ;:
Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( or just ) is the air force Military branch, branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalatin ...
;:
Swiss Air Force The Swiss Air Force (; ; ; ) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914, three days after the outbreak of World War I, as a part of the Swiss Army, army and in October 1936 as an independent service. In peaceti ...
;: Yugoslav Royal Air Force ;:
SFR Yugoslav Air Force The Air Force and Air Defence ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздушна одбрана, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana ; abbr. sh-Cyrl-Latn, label=none, separator=/, РВ и ПВ ...


Surviving aircraft


Argentina

* MS.502 Criquet at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica, at
Morón, Buenos Aires Morón () is a city in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires, capital of the Morón ''partido'', located in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, at . Located 20 km (13 mi) west of Downtown Buenos Aires, Morón i ...
.


Austria

* 110253 – Fi 156 on static display at the Museum of Military History in
Vienna, Austria Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
.


Belgium

* 5503 – S-14B on static display at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels, Brussels.


Finland

* 4230/39 – Fi 156 K-1 on display at the Finnish Aviation Museum in Vantaa, Uusimaa. It is the only surviving Finnish Air Force ''Storch''. It retains its civilian paint scheme and registration, OH-FSA, from its final owner. It previously carried the serial number ST-112 and the registration OH-VSF.


Germany

* 73 – MS.505 airworthy at the Fliegendes Museum in Großenhain, Saxony. It is registered as D-EGTY and is painted in French Air Force colors. * 637 – MS.500 on static display at the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr in Berlin, Berlin. * 4299 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Bavaria. * 110062 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the
Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology) in Berlin, Germany is a museum of science museum, science and technology museum, technology, and exhibits a large collection of historical technical artifacts. The museum's main emphasis originally was on rail tra ...
in Berlin, Berlin. * 110254 – S-14 on static display at the Technik Museum Speyer in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate. * Composite – Fi 156 C-3 airworthy at the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim in Munich, Bavaria.


Italy

* MM12822 – Fi 156 C-3 on display at Italian Air Force Museum in Bracciano, Lazio.


Norway

* 43 – MS.500 airworthy in Fetsund, Akershus. It has been restored as a Fi 156 C-3. * Composite – MS.500 on display at the Sola Aviation Museum in Stavanger, Rogaland. It has been converted to resemble a Fi 156 C-2 during restoration. * 2088 – Fi 156 A-1. It was restored by Peter Holloway, Shuttleworth Collection and is currently registered as LN-STC.


Serbia

* c/n 91 – Mráz K-65 Čáp on static display at the Belgrade Aviation Museum in Surčin, Belgrade. It was converted to a medical transport and has the registration YU-COE.


South Africa

* 475099 – Fi 156 C-7 airworthy at the South African Air Force Museum at Air Force Base Swartkop in
Centurion, Gauteng Centurion (previously known as Verwoerdburg and before that Lyttelton) is an area with 236,580 inhabitants (2011 census) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between Pretoria and Midrand. Formerly an independent municipality, with its own to ...
. It is painted in the Luftwaffe markings VT+TD. It was acquired by the
South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...
in 1946.


Spain

* Composite – Fi 156 C-3 on display at the Museo del Aire in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
.


Switzerland

* 1685 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the Flieger-Flab-Museum in Dubendorf, Zurich. * 8063 – Fi 156 C-3/Trop on static display at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, Lucerne.


United Kingdom

* 475081 – Fi 156 C-7 on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Cosford, Shropshire.


United States

* 4 – MS.500 airworthy with a private owner in Seabrook, Texas. It is registered as N778MS. * 361 – MS.502 under restoration to airworthiness with the Southern California Wing of the
Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at Air show, airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. ...
in
Camarillo, California Camarillo ( ) is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan and ...
. It has been converted to resemble an Fi 156 D. * 381 – MS.502 on static display at the
Planes of Fame Air Museum Planes of Fame Air Museum is an aviation museum at Chino Airport in Chino, California. History The Air Museum was founded by Edward T. Maloney on January 12, 1957, in Claremont, California, to save historically important aircraft.
in
Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino's surroundings ha ...
. * 724 – MS.500 on static display at the
Pima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum is an aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, US. It features a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over on a campus occupying . It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Overv ...
in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
. * 728 – MS.502 airworthy at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. * 3452 – Fi 156 C-7 airworthy with a private owner in
Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adjacent to the east. The city proper had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Unite ...
. It is registered as N156SF. * 3808 – Fi 156 C-1 on static display at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...
in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
. It was built in 1940. * 4362 – Fi 156 C-2 airworthy at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in
Everett, Washington Everett (; ) is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the Seattle metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett ...
. * 4621 – MS.500 airworthy with the
Collings Foundation The Collings Foundation is a private non-profit educational foundation located in Stow, Massachusetts, with a mission dedicated to the preservation and public display of transportation-related history, namely automobile and aviation history. The ...
in Stow, Massachusetts. bearing the ''Geschwaderkennung'' "B1+BB" of a Luftwaffe "flight-readiness" support unit. * 4642 – MS.500 airworthy at the
Fantasy of Flight Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Kendall-Tamiami E ...
museum in
Polk City, Florida Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland–Winter Haven, Florida, Winter Haven Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, metropolitan s ...
. * Unknown ID – MS.500 in storage at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility of the
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
in
Suitland, Maryland Suitland is a suburb of Washington, D.C., approximately one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Washington, D.C. Suitland is a census designated place (CDP), as of the 2020 census, its population was 25,839. Prior to 2010, it was part of the Suitland ...
.


Specifications (Fi 156C-2)


See also


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * Mesko, Jim. "The Rise...and Fall of the Vietnamese AF". '' Air Enthusiast'', August–November 1981, No. 16. pp. 1–12, 78–80. . * * Ricco, Philippe and Jean-Claude Soumille. ''Les Avions Allemands aux Couleurs Francaises, Tome 1''. Rochemaure, France: Airdoc, 1997. . * * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Fliegendes Museum


* ttps://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-birth-of-alpine-air-rescues-in-switzerland-a-821515.html Swiss air rescue operation 1946
The Collings Foundation's MS 500 Reenactment of a Luftwaffe flight-readiness unit's takeoff video
{{Authority control 1930s German military utility aircraft High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft STOL aircraft Fi 156 Aircraft first flown in 1936 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft