NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch aircraft entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1937. It is known for short take off
and landing (STOL) abilities. In a slight breeze, it can take off in about 200 feet and land in about 70 feet.
Although the Storch served in virtually every theatre occupied by the German army, it may best remembered as the plane
used in the rescue of Benito Mussolini in the Gran Sasso Mountain range on September 12, 1943.
Pilots report the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch as a pleasant aircraft to fly. Cockpit visibility is excellent.
The rear folding wings make storage possible in small spaces. Aileron response is positive with only a light touch
needed. There is a wheel on the left side of the cockpit that controls the
flaps. It takes of bit of strength to deploy the flaps in their full 70 degrees
of range. However, for take off, generally 20 to 40 degrees is used. Starting
the engine of the aircraft is a breeze, no matter the weather.
We received the following email:
From: Pierre Gardères (t.mctat@wanadoo.fr) “That Storch, she isn't very glamorous is she? Quite resilient however! The club over here (Pau Pyrenees Fr) used a Storch for
dropping parachutists (two at one time, one for the big one.) She would sometimes just bounce and take off without rotation!
My sister jumped 16 times this way. The plane had a plank in the struts where you had to sit, out of the plane, before jumping.
The motor quit upon take off during a test flight and the grasshopper legs folded back, damaging the fuse, thanks to a giant mole hill.
Written off, pilot Ok, swore quite a bit maybe, this was in the early '60. Best regards - Titus”
The picture that was attached is at the top of this page.
Variants of the Fi 156 were produced in France and Czechoslovakia through 1950.
Over 2,900 Fieseler Fi 156 Storch aircraft of all types were produced. Some twenty are still flying today,
and are often seen at air shows.
utility STOL
four
Argus As10C-3
240 hp
1,900 lbs.
2,900 lbs.
32' 9"
46' 9"
90 mph
110 mph
950 fpm
17,000 feet
230 miles
5/24/36
1937
Radio Control Airplane
The rc Fi-156 Storch from Uncle Willies Plans.
Radio Control Airplanes
We have seen a rc Fi-156 Storch ARF for sale by Nitro Planes, but do not know if it is still available.
Pictured above is the rc Fieseler Fi 156 Storch from Uncle Willies Plans obtained through Kit Cutters. The rc airplane is 1/4 scale. Wing span is 140" and length is 97". Recommended power is a Kritz Bully engine.
Uncle Willies Plans has plans for a smaller version of the rc Fi-156 Storch. It has a wingspan of 93".
Kit Cutters also has a Fi 156 Storch rc with a 46.5" wing span from Nexus Plans for sale as a kit or plan.
Aviomodelli has a 50% ARF rc Fi 156 Storch. for sale. It has a 82" wingspan and a 55" length. Materials used in the construction are all wood.
You can power it with 7.5 to 10 cc two cycle or 10 to 15 cc four cycle engines. Weight should come out to about 11 lbs.
Bob Holman has plans and short kits for the Fieseler Fi-156 Storch rc airplane.
These come in two sizes. The 70" wing span can be powered by .25 to .40 two
cycle engines. The 1/6 scale 94" wing span can be powered by .90 to .120 or G38 engines.
We have seen postings in RC Universe about the rc Fi-156 Storch from Svensson kits. They appear to be
powered with from .90 to 1.20 engines with about 120" wingspans and a weight of approximately 12 lbs. less engine. A price of 500 Euros was shown for one. We can not find any additional information about these seemingly highly desirable
kits, or rc models built from them.
RC Groups mentions the rc Fieseler Fi 156 Storch ARF from Kyosho. It has a 52" wingspan and weighs around 36 oz. We
could not find it on the Kyosho website, however.
LX Models had a rc FI-156 ARF for sale with a 52" wingspan. A check of their website shows it has
been discontinued.
Vintage RC has plans for sale of a rc Fi-156 Storch scale model radio control airplane. It is giant scale with a 92" wingspan.
The first picture below is of the 1/8 scale rc Fi 156 Storch ARF for sale from BMI. It has a 71" wing span and 43" length.
The second picture below is of Ed Newman's fantastic looking 1/4 scale rc Fi 156 Storch.
The next picture below is of the Fi 156 Storch rc from a E-Star Models kit. It has a wing span of 52.5" and a length of 35.5".
Suggested power is a geared Speed 480 size motor. All up weight should be 2 lbs. or less.
We received the following email from Pierre Gardères (t.mctat@wanadoo.fr):
“Good day, My rc Fieseler Storch had been laying in it box for a few years (10?) when I decided to fly her. I was( alas!) a foamie ("depron" white sheet) some + 90 cm (36”span), from (if I remember well) a Czech model maker (Hacker?...)
I flew her indoors and in my backyard and it sported a few scars. While flying indoor lately, a silly ugly clumsy basket pole jumped at her and stomped the poor
thing. She was doing well on an indoor 20gm brushless motor
with prop (8x4) saver and two 450 lipo cells. The whole work
was around 250g (say 10oz) four 6g servos + flaps!!
I wish I had taken measurements before getting rid of the corpse!
She was quite sturdy: 6mm depron all over, shaped (ribs) wings not intended for ailerons ... but, better with, especially indoor where the walls and
basket poles are jumping at you so fast. The prop here isn't that aesthetic and would not last. I changed it for a gray APC 8x3.8 slow fly. She would look better with red crosses (all white +.... red cross, Russia medevac) but ...
If any one knows about that one, let me know.”
The rc Fieseler Storch built by Pierre can be found in the last picture on this page.
Is there a rc Fieseler Fi 156 Storch radio control airplane that you would like to recommend?
Fieseler Fi 156 Storch
