The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch: The First STOL Aircraft

Description

First flown in May 1936, the Fieseler Fi 156, or, as it was better known, Storch (Stork), was designed in answer to a request from the German Luftwaffe for a short range reconnaissance aircraft. For its time, the Fi 156 had amazing performance and flight characteristics, 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), also being used on daring rescue missions, including the rescue of the Italian dictator Mussolini. The last flight out of 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 being built. Some are still flying.

Jan Forsgren has an MA in History. He has had five books published previously, including two in English; 'Swedish Fortresses' and 'Messerschmitt Bf 108', both for MMP, as well as hundreds of aviation-related articles for various aviation magazines, including 'Aeroplane', the 'Aviation Historian' and 'FlyPast'. He has also written articles on the Air Forces in South East Asia that are available on www.aeroflight.co.uk For Fonthill, he has written 'Sinking the Beast: the 1944 RAF Lancaster Raids Lancaster Raids'.

"Forsgren is a skilled writer. His work is well organized, and his narrative style is smooth. The book is a high-quality product on high-quality paper that shows most images crisply. This book is a great tool for the researcher diving deeper into the Storch."-- "Air Power History" "For anyone interested in one of Nazi Germany's most overlooked success stories, this book provides a truly comprehensive treatment...a fascinating study of a fascinating airplane."-- "Aviation History Magazine"