The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II. It remains famous to this day for its excellent STOL (Short-Take-Off-and-Landing) performance.
- Role: Reconnaissance & communications
- National origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Fieseler/Morane-Saulnier
- First flight: 24 May 1936
- Introduction: 1937
- Status: Privately owned, or in museums
- Retired: Germany: 1945, France: 1970
- Produced: 1937–1949 (1965 for the MS 500)
- Number built: Over 2,900
Production per factory
- Fieseler: 1.908
- Morane-Saulnier: 784
- Mraz: 78
- Leichtbau: 73
Military operators
- Bulgarian Air Force
- Royal Khmer Air Force (Post war) and Khmer National Air Force
- Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia
- Czechoslovakian Air Force (Post war)
- Egyptian Air Force
- Finnish Air Force
- French Air Force (Post war)
- French Navy (Post war)
- French Army (Post war)
- Luftwaffe German Air Force)
- Greek Air Force (Post war)
- Royal Hungarian Air Force
- Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force)
- Royal Lao Air Force (Post war)
- Royal Moroccan Air Force (Post war)
- Royal Norwegian Air Force (Post war)
- Polish Air Force (Post war)
- Polish Navy (Post war)
- Royal Romanian Air Force
- Romanian Air Force (Post war)
- Slovak Air Force (1939–1945)
- Vietnam Air Force (Post war)
- Soviet Air Force
- Spanish Air Force
- Royal Swedish Air Force
- Swiss Air Force
- Royal Air Force
- Yugoslav Royal Air Force
- SFR Yugoslav Air Force
Specifications (Fi 156)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- 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)
- Range: 380 km (210 nmi, 240 mi)
- Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,090 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
