Fieseler Fi 156 Storch demo 1938

In 1935, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Aviation Ministry) put out a tender for a new Luftwaffe aircraft (suitable for liaison, army co-operation today called Forward Air Control), and medical evacuation, as required to several companies. Penned by chief designer Reinhold Mews and technical director Erich Bachen, Fieseler's entry was the most advanced in terms of STOL performance, by far. A fixed slat ran along the entire leading edge of the long wings, while the trailing edge, inspired by earlier 1930s Junkers aircraft wing control surface designs, including the ailerons, was a hinged and slotted flap. The wings could be folded back along the fuselage, allowing it to be carried on a trailer or even towed slowly behind a vehicle. The long legs of the landing gear contained oil and spring shock absorbers that compressed about 450 mm (18 inches) on landing, allowing the plane to set down almost anywhere. In flight they hung down, giving the aircraft the appearance of a very long-legged, big-winged bird, Hence its nickname, Storch. With its very low landing speed the Storch often landed "at place" or even backwards, in case of wind from directly ahead.
The first Fi 156 V1 prototype flew in the spring of 1936. It was powered by a 180 kW (240 hp) inverted-vee Argus As 10C V8 engine, which gave the plane a top speed of only 175 km/h (109 mph), enabling the Storch to fly as slow as 50 km/h (32 mph), take off into a light wind in less than 45 m (150 ft), and land in 18 m (60 ft). It was followed up by the second V2 prototype and third V3 prototypes, the ski-equipped V4, plus one V5 and ten Fi 156A-0 pre-production aircraft. It was immediately ordered into production by the Luftwaffe with an order for 16 planes, and the first Fi 156A-1 production aircraft entered service in mid-1937.
Fieseler then offered the Fi 156B, which allowed for the retraction of the leading edge slats and had a number of minor aerodynamic cleanups, boosting the speed to 208 km/h (130 mph). The Luftwaffe didn't consider such a small difference to be important, and Fieseler instead moved on to the main production version, the C.
The Fi 156C was essentially a "flexible" version of the A model. A small run of C-0s were followed by the C-1 three-seater liaison version, and the C-2 two-seat observation type (which had a rear-mounted MG 15 machine gun for defense). Both models entered service in 1939. In 1941, both were replaced by the "universal cockpit" C-3, suited to any role. Last of the Cs was the C-5, a C-3 with a belly hardpoint a camera pod or drop tank. Some were fitted with skis, rather than wheels, for operation on snow.
Other versions of the Fi 156 were the C-3/Trop, which was a tropicalised version of the Fi 156C-5, and the Fi 156D which was an air ambulance version. The first two Fi 156D models were the D-0 pre-production aircraft, and the D-1 production aircraft, powered by a an Argus As 10P engine. Ten Fi 156E pre-production aircraft were fitted with tracked landing gear. The Fi 256 was a five-seat civil version, only two were built at the Morane-Saulnier factory at Puteaux in France.
The Storch could be found on every front throughout the war. It will probably always be most famous for its role in the rescue of deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from a boulder-strewn mountain top near Monte Cassino, surrounded by Italian troops. German commando Otto Skorzeny dropped with 90 paratroopers onto the peak and quickly captured it, but the problem remained of how to get back off. A Focke Achgelis Fa 223 helicopter was sent, but it broke down en route. Instead, pilot Walter Gerlach flew in a Storch, landed in 30 m (100 ft), took aboard Mussolini and Skorzeny, and took off again in under 80 m (250 ft), even though the plane was overloaded. The involved Storch rescuing Mussolini bore the radio code letters, or Stammkennzeichen, of "SJ + LL" in motion picture coverage of the daring rescue.
General characteristics
Crew: 4
Length: 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 14.3 m (46 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.1 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 26 m² (280 ft²)
Empty weight: 860 kg (1,900 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,260 kg (2,780 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Argus As 10 air-cooled inverted V8 engine, 180 kW (240 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 175 km/h (109 mph) at 300 m (1,000 ft)
Combat radius: 380 km (210 knots, 240 mi)
Service ceiling 5,200 m (17,060 ft)
Rate of climb: 4.8 m/s (945 ft/min)
Wing loading: 48.5 kg/m² (9.9 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 143 W/kg (0.087 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns: MG 15 machine gun

[@DavidSmith-xs3or]

That take off was amazing. Doesn't need much of a runway.

[@colindominy]

Yet another truly remarkable German aircraft design, like so many others of the period. What awesome STOL performance the Storch had. For its class & time period - an absolute world beater !! More German ingenuity & technological prowess on show here. Very well done.

[@robertmatch6550]

Yes colindomino, the Germans made a nice putt-putt. When you're big you can go on a ride!

[@WeimarAmerica]

Thank you, this was a very worthwhile presentation on an astounding little aircraft!

[@Goatboysminion]

They are still a hell of an airplane.

[@TheRooster602]

I've read that with a hi performance engine fitted, it could generate static lift., meaning standing still at full throttle, the prop blast created enough lift over the wing to allow the plane to go airborne with zero takeoff roll. Only other plane ever to do that was the Custer Channelwing (far as I know).

[@caribman10]

There's footage of a Pilatus Porter doing just that.

[@dahuz795]

The Fieseler Storch performed extremely well for such a simple design, 90% of all bush aircraft today use still more takeoff roll distance, can't climb at such a steep angle and can't land on a stamp like the Storch. It could even fly backwards in strong wind. The Storch will outperform a Cub any day, not by far, but it will. The design of the Storch was very simple but clever & effective and has only been matched to date by ultra light aircraft with modern carbon fibre materials afaik.

[@AudieHolland]

Storch: let's taxi. And we're airborne!

[@TheFirstApparition]

What's with the Shuttleworth narrator: "unsuccessful attempt to rescue Mussolini"?? "British mountain hideaway??" Mussolini was being held by renegade Italian troops on the Gran Sasso mountain in ITALY. And the rescue was successful. So, WTF?

[@ron9320]

That’s the way history is made. It’s all the narrative!😜

[@Dov_ben-Maccabee]

Monumental screw up

[@Biggerbadwolf]

These planes sometimes have bird strikes on the trailing edge of the wing.

[@AudieHolland]

And sometimes from behind.

[@randolfaquino9998]

One of my favorite aircraft

[@urbansoldier1]

so you see we have had something like an harrier (jet) in early 1938 - ;-) greetz from germany around the world

[@keithpearson7539]

That's good 👍

[@tommiatkins]

Lovely footage. They prepared Storches for use on the Graf Zeppelin . hat would have been interesting

[@kolbpilot]

Anybody 'in the know' is impressed with the Storch. Speed isn't everything. The French used them in Indochine to full effect. Fiesler stood for Gerhard Fiesler, founder of the company & one smart cookie. He was also a WW1 Ace with 19 victories.

[@thegrayknight71]

He-he. Full throttle, 3 feet of land...airborne. Insane.

[@track1219]

Over 700 cubic inch engine. V-8. Air cooled. Fairly low compression ratio, less than 7:1. Engine weight over 400 pounds. Impressive performance helped by a long 46’ wingspan

[@SuperAviatar]

It is very enlightening to look at the Lysander next to the Storch, the Lysander is seriously overbuilt!! Recently I had a ride in the back of the Storch at Old Warden - thanks Peter! - and was intrigued by the bicycle chain operated flaps. Keep it simple, stupid.... who needs all the hydraulic gubbins? Weak point of the Storch seems to be engine cooling, pilots were told to use thermals to give the engine a rest.... the front seat gets very hot at times, so fly with the windows open, eh??? Brr!

[@Jigaboo123456]

Great post and an excellent description under "read more", thanks. I imagine that in a wind of about 30 knots it could take of with NO take-off run, maybe even take of with no engine by pointing into wind and gaining height (whilst praying that the wind doesn't drop until a safe height is reached?

[@shannon7002]

Jay Igaboo incorrect, needs power to hold the aircraft at the same place while the he wind passes over the lifting surfaces

[@9118693223]

the best ww2 aircraft of it 's kind . remarkable. it's stol characteristics are remarkable even comparing with today's standards .

[@dirkprivat5106]

My father learnt flying on this Machine in 1943

[@gaborfeher7134]

Kevés ilyen jóindulatú és jó tulajdonságú repülőgép van a világon, szívesen kipróbálnám.

[@jjohnston94]

0:54 "Rocky and Bullwinkle" narrator!

[@jonnyq680]

no sir, that was the famous film, tv and voice actor William Conrad !

[@vksasdgaming9472]

If I remember correctly Storch was the last plane ever shot down during WW2 in Europe. It was remarkable aircraft.

[@ichmalealsobinich]

It was the last plane which took off from Berlin in 1945. The last plane shot down in european war theatre was a P51 Mustang jthe last victim of Erich Hartmann.

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

If I remember correctly......

[@pinwizz69]

Without a doubt the best LiteObver. bird till modern ultralites and even they can,t do what that lil, bird could. I believe it was the first tru STOL bird.

[@dragonbutt]

I wish it was a kit plane. It'd be AWESOME!

[@lonewolf0281]

Impressive. :O Forget the F-35B. The USMC & RAF should get Storchs to replace the Harriers. ;-)

[@visionist7]

The Gran Sasso raid would make one hell of a movie, too bad politics will never let it happen

[@szaki]

Top speed 109 mph! STOL plane!

[@qq-uh2mx]

I HAVE SIMMULATOR FLY THIS AIRCRAFT. VERY FUN TO FLY VERY.

[@Desperadounico]

Most of our technology and ideas came from Germany, night vision goggles, improved tanks, superior fighters, submarines, and of course ICBM's, too bad they had a madman leading them in the wrong direction.

[@visionist7]

The real enemy was Russia, but it's too late now...

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

Poison gas chamber for humans.

[@jonnyq680]

Columbia House record club

[@scottw5315]

Do you think the mad corporal practicing for war and dumping billions of marks into weapons since 1933 had something to do with it?

[@rebel7204]

Most of our technology and ideas came from Germany..?? WTF. Check out the British Lysander aircraft, development on that one started around 1934.

[@imsofaman]

Bomberguy, Awesome video once again! I do have two questions. #1 Is this the type of plane on the movie the Great Escape did they (Jame Garner and the blind guy) escaped in? #2 Did I see pilot Frank Courtney in the plane at one point? Thanks....

[@ceemosp]

Because leading edge flaps were simultaneously developed by a german aerodynamics engineer called Gustav Lachmann - who later worked for Handley Page - in 1918, for which he was granted a german patent (DE 347884) in 1922. Maybe a little more research and a little less propaganda would be the order of the 21st century?

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

A bit of research? Leading edge flaps are used in the four outer bays of the Boeing 747 with simpler Krueger flaps in the two inner bays. You probably meant leading edge slats.

[@speckfire01]

Awesome bird

[@mikecimerian6913]

I had read it could take off and land on a handkerchief. In deed. :-)

[@norbertfleck812]

At 50 km/h front wind it really was able to take off and land vertically.

[@TheRooster602]

Sometimes announcers are picked for voice quality, or looks.

[@tubachris7627]

Crazy seeing a swastika in the US around the time of WW2

[@wanderschlosser1857]

1938 was prior to WW2

[@larsjansen1596]

super gute

[@TonyAirlines]

I'd buy one.

[@wolf6500]

great plane, it can land everywhere. regards SmiertSpionem!!

[@Perktube1]

unsuccessful?

[@visionist7]

Exactly wtf

[@Bomberguy]

#1 No that was a Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann #2 I have no clue

[@CaptBubble]

A very fine plane of its type and time, arguably the best, but why do so many people think that it is a good example of German innovation and technological leadership? Handley Page developed the wing "Slottery and Flappery" for their Gugnunc bi-plane several years earlier, and this was copied by German and American companies.

[@KlipsenTube]

Does the speaker in the last clip really call the rescue of Mussolini "unsuccessful"?

[@paulrf4484]

Weren't these used by the Swiss Airforce, possibly for transporting casualties?

[@yurasseck]

Que avião fantástico.

[@flybob63]

Great airplane. Bet it is a bitch to fly at slow speed though with everything dragging out and full power like that. Great performance but I'll bet not every pilot can make it fly like this guy did. Great flying.

[@carmium]

@dahuz795 Just read your long-ago comment: Comparing this plane to a bush plane is unfair, in my opinion. The Storch carried two or three people maximum, and had no capacity for the freight that is a bush plane's life blood. A remarkable aircraft? Absolutely. But competition for a Norseman, Beaver, Murphy Moose, etc? Absolutely not!

[@Roddyoneeye]

Where can one find plans for the three seat version of the Storch ?

[@raywhitehead730]

You should see the Japanese amphibious short take off and owning plane,.

[@keithad6485]

Does anyone know of details on what it was like to fly the Storch during WW2, written by Storch pilots. I am writing a novel woven with actual events and real people, set in late WW2 following the adventures of a Storch pilot (fictitous). Any assistance would be well received. Info on tactics used by pilots to avoid getting shot down by faster enemy aircraft for instance.

[@Slithey7433]

The Fieseler factory was in Kassel, Germany, making the city an important target for bombing by the Allied forces, costing the lives of tens of thousands of civilian residents and the near-total destruction of the city.

[@geruempelwart]

I thinke the Henschel factorys (locomotives, trucks, tanks) were more important than Fieseler alone.

[@markmccastle7932]

Spiffy bird

[@chatnickcz]

Hi everybody. My friend is going to sell original starter for Storch. Does anyone know who needs it? Thank you very very much.

[@bullygram]

STOL?

[@saptono]

Designed with insect in mind.

[@pinwizz69]

I hope you have some TRUE aviation experience to back up your opinion. Please , if this is so name these mystery aircraft you speak of. Even now I,d have to say based on her ease of maint. , low cost of operations and manufacturing. And the fact that she did,nt require extensive flight hours/experience to fly all. Combined with even more factors like her toughness in adverse conditions made her a MILITARY aircraft that sets her apart. from ANYTHING built today. Back up your claim with facts!.

[@SabraStiehl]

British tendency to lie.

[@dahuz795]

Nice job, comparing jets to a 1930's piston engine. Let's compare ease of maintenance? Error-proneness? Building cost? Shut off a single flight computer in the JSF, and you have a multi million dollar brick. Storch? Compu-what?! 1930's design! Operate a Harrier in the harsh winter conditions of Russia w/o today's deicing equipment or at least 10 minutes warm up time, and it will only be able to take off like a normal jet. Free the rudders of ice with some force & fire up the Storch, off you go.

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

Fabric covered, you would tear the Storch to bits.

[@mrmackey8776]

1:32 always the lying British propaganda