The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a remarkable German reconnaissance and liaison aircraft used during World War II, renowned for its exceptional short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Designed with a high-wing configuration, fixed leading-edge slats, and large, trailing-edge flaps, the Storch could operate from extremely short runways, often just a few dozen meters long. Its long, spindly landing gear with oleo struts allowed it to land on rough, unprepared terrain. Powered by a relatively modest Argus As 10 engine, the Storch was not fast, but its slow flight characteristics and ability to hover in place in strong headwinds made it ideal for observation, medical evacuation, and command missions in remote areas. The aircraft's versatility and reliability made it an indispensable tool for the Luftwaffe, earning it a lasting legacy as one of the most iconic STOL aircraft ever built.

Storch General Characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 9.91 m (32 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 14.25 m (46 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 26 m2 (280 sq ft)
Empty weight: 930 kg (2,050 lb)
Gross weight: 1,324 kg (2,920 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Argus As 10 V-8 inverted air-cooled piston engine, 180 kW (240 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

Maximum speed: 175 km/h (109 mph, 95 kn) at sea level @2000rpm
Cruise speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn) (economic cruise) @1890rpm
Stall speed: 40 km/h (31 mph, 27 kn)
Range: 390 km (240 mi, 210 nmi) at 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft)
Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,090 ft)
Rate of climb: 4.60 m/s (905 ft/min)

Armament

Guns: 1 × MG 15 machine gun (non-working)

Credits

I appreciate the opportunity to complete this native conversion of this wonderful aircraft into MSFS.  It was a great to evolve the aircraft into what it is currently, taking advantage of many of the feature updates that MSFS provides.  The following are credited for providing the initial models or suggestions for improvement:

Rara-Avis-Sims and Stef T-Bird: Initial FSX conversion
The Flying Freja: Initial Flight and fuel model
RogueTurtleDepot, PapaMeesh, Crispalmer, Clockstopper, and Annov:  Ideas and suggestions for improvement

PLANNED UPDATES

o Base exterior texture improvements.

Installation

This aircraft will work with both MSFS 2020 and 2024.  Note that some features of 2024 will not be available.

The zip file in this download includes the aircraft folder and a readme text file.

To install, place the folder "flyndive-gfs-aircraft-msfs-storch" into your community folder.  For future updates, remember to remove the previous version from your community folder before updating. (Note: Folder name might have changed.)