View source for Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

{{short description|German liaison aircraft}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = Fi 156 ''Storch''
 |image = File:Fieseler Storch 3 (cropped).jpg
 |image_caption = Storch in flight at [[Flying Legends]] (July 2012)
 |aircraft_type = Reconnaissance & communications
 |national_origin = [[Nazi Germany]]
 |manufacturer = [[Fieseler]] <br />[[Morane-Saulnier]]
 |first_flight = 24 May 1936
 |introduction = 1937
 |retired = Germany: 1945 <br />France: 1970
 |status =
 |primary_user = [[Luftwaffe]]
 |more_users = [[French Army]] <br />[[French Air Force]]
 |produced = 1937–1949<br />(-1965 as the ''MS 500'')
 |number_built = Over 2,900<ref>Winchester 2004, {{page needed|date=February 2024}}</ref>
 |developed_from =
 |variants =
}}

The '''Fieseler Fi 156 ''Storch''''' ({{IPA|de|ʃtɔrç|}}, "[[stork]]") is a [[liaison aircraft]] designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer [[Fieseler]]. Its nickname of ''[[Stork|Storch]]'' was derived from the lengthy legs of its main [[landing gear]], which gave the aircraft a similar appearance to that of the long-legged, big-winged bird.

Developed during the mid 1930s in response to a request from the [[Reichsluftfahrtministerium]] (''Reich Aviation Ministry'' or RLM), the Fi 156 was an affordable and easy to construct aircraft purpose designed for the liaison, [[forward air control|army co-operation]], and [[medical evacuation]] roles. On 24 May 1936, the Fi 156 V1 performed its [[maiden flight]]; the first deliveries took place less than a year later. It was well regarded for its excellent short field ([[STOL]]) performance and low [[stalling speed]] of 50 km/h (31 mph).<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_fi156_en.php |title = Fieseler Fi 156 Storch - Specifications - Technical Data / Description |publisher = flugzeuginfo.net |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref> Around 2,900 aircraft of various models, the most commonplace being the ''Fi 156C'', were produced between 1937 and 1945. The Fi 156 quickly became popular on the export market, eventually being widely used by various nations.

Numerous countries deployed their aircraft in a military capacity across various theatres of the [[Second World War]]. The Fi 156 was extensively operated by the [[Luftwaffe]], who often used it in the [[aerial reconnaissance]] role and less often as a troop transport. German aircraft saw action on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]], [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]], the [[Western Desert]], and even the [[Arctic]]. During September 1943, the Storch played a pivotal role in [[Gran Sasso raid|''Operation Eiche'']], the rescue of deposed Italian dictator [[Benito Mussolini]] from a boulder-strewn mountain-top near the [[Gran Sasso]]. On 26 April 1945, a ''Storch'' was one of the last aircraft to land on the improvised airstrip in the [[Grosser Tiergarten|Tiergarten]] near the [[Brandenburg Gate]] during the [[Battle of Berlin]]. During the conflict, several ''Störche'' were captured by the Allies; several were used as the personal aircraft of high ranking officers such as [[Field Marshal]] [[Bernard Montgomery]], [[Air Vice Marshal]] [[Arthur Coningham (RAF officer)|Arthur Coningham]], and Air Vice Marshal [[Harry Broadhurst]].

Even after the end of the conflict, production of the type continued in other countries into the 1950s, both for the private market and military operators. In addition to Germany, additional production lines had been established in France, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, there have been many attempts to recreate or imitate the Fi 156, including several three-quarter scale [[homebuilt aircraft]], such as the [[Pazmany PL-9 Stork]], [[RagWing RW19 Stork]], and [[Preceptor STOL King|STOL King]]. The [[Slepcev Storch]] and French-built later variants of the original aircraft have often appeared at air shows and other flying events. Numerous flight-worthy aircraft are still operational into the twenty-first century.

==Development==
===Background and selection===
During 1935, the [[Reichsluftfahrtministerium]] (''Reich Aviation Ministry'' or RLM) issued in [[Request for proposal|invitation]] to several aviation companies to submit their proposals for a new aircraft for the ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' that was to be suitable for the roles of [[liaison aircraft|liaison]], army co-operation (today called [[forward air control]]), and [[medical evacuation]].<ref name = "smithkay 142"/> The German aircraft manufacturer [[Fieseler]] quickly took an interest in the new requirement and opted to produce its own clean sheet design, which was largely conceived of by chief designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director [[Erich Bachem]]. This new aircraft, which was subsequently assigned the ''Fi 156'' designation, was specifically designed to achieve particularly strong short take off and landing ("[[STOL]]") performance.<ref name = "smithkay 142"/>

In addition to Fieseler's submission, competing proposals were submitted from various other aircraft manufacturers, including [[Weser Flugzeugbau]] and [[Siebel]] in the form of the [[Bf 163]] and [[Siebel Si 201|Si 201]] respectively.<ref name = "smithkay 142">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 142.</ref> While the Bf 163 broadly resembled the Fi 156, the Si 201 was a relatively unorthodox aircraft; all three designs were evaluated in depth by officials. The Fi 156 emerged as the favoured submission, in part due to its relatively cheap and straightforward construction offered in its design.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/>

On 24 May 1936, the Fi 156 V1, registered ''D-IKVN'', performed its [[maiden flight]]; it was quickly followed by a further four prototypes.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/> From an early stage, the company had envisioned two different production versions, the ''Fi 156A'' and ''Fi 156B'', the latter having movable [[leading edge]] slots instead of the formers' fixed slot arrangement. The first production standard aircraft were delivered in early 1937.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/>

===German production===
About 2,900 Fi 156s, the majority being of the ''Fi 156C'' model, were produced between 1937 and 1945.<ref name = "smithkay 145"/> The principal production line was at the [[Fieseler]] Factory in [[Kassel]]. During 1942, production started in the [[Morane-Saulnier]] factory at [[Puteaux]] in [[France]]. Due to the demand for Fieseler as a subcontractor for building the [[Fw 190]], Fi 156 production was shifted to Leichtbau Budweis in [[Budweis]] by the end of 1943. Factories in other countries under German control manufactured aircraft, including Fi 156s, for Germany.

===Soviet production===
In 1939, after the signing of the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]], Germany provided several aircraft, including the Fi 156C, to the [[Soviet Union]]. [[Oleg Antonov (aircraft designer)|Oleg Antonov]] was made responsible for putting the aircraft into production to meet Soviet requirements, and given a choice between designing an equivalent aircraft or copying the German design, the latter was selected. The aircraft was titled OKA-38 and two versions were envisaged: the SS three seat liaison aircraft, and the N-2 air ambulance capable of carrying two stretchers plus a medic.  A prototype was constructed in Factory No. 365, established on the basis of [[Karo aviacijos tiekimo skyrius|Lithuanian Military Aviation Works]], in [[Kaunas]], recently occupied [[Lithuanian SSR|Lithuania]]. The first prototype was built in Factory No. 23 in [[Leningrad]] and flew before the end of 1940. Production in Kaunas had just started when the factory was lost to the German advance in 1941. While Antonov's efforts had produced a heavier aircraft, which required as much as three times the field for landing and take off as the German Fi 156C (160 m vs 55 m), it also had much greater range and increased load capability.<ref name=gunston95>{{ref book osprey encyc of russian aircraft|20}}</ref> After the conflict, Antonov went on to design the legendary [[An-2]] STOL biplane, which also has excellent STOL performance.

===Production in Czechoslovakia===
In 1944, production was moved from the Leichtbau [[Budweis]] to the [[Beneš-Mráz|Mráz]] factory in [[Choceň]] which produced 138 examples of the Fi 156, locally designated as "K-65 Čáp" (i.e. stork in Czech). Production ended during 1949.

===Production in France===
[[File:MORANE-SAULNIER MS.505 CRIQUET D-EGTY vl.jpg|thumb|Morane-Saulnier MS.505 Criquet]]
During the Second World War, the French manufacturer [[Morane-Saulnier]] was operated under German control, during which time it built German types including the Storch. Immediately after the [[liberation of France]] in 1944, the production of the Fi&nbsp;156 at the Morane-Saulnier factory was continued at the request of the ''[[Armée de l'Air]]''. The resulting batch of aircraft produced with the remaining stock of [[Argus As 10|Argus air-cooled inverted V8 engines]] were designated ''MS 500 Criquet''. Aircraft with further modifications and  different engines ([[Inline engine (aeronautics)|inline]] and [[Radial engine|radial]]) received various different type numbers. The use of the aircraft in [[French Indochina|Indochina]] highlighted the weakness of wood for the construction of the airframe; thus it was decided to build the wings out of metal instead. Among the modifications, the defensive weapon aiming through the back window was dropped, although some aircraft were modified in the field to take a [[MAC 1934|MAC 34T]] machine gun firing through one of the side windows. Some 141 aircraft were built before the end of the Second World War while a total of 925 aircraft were built before the end of the production of all types of ''Criquet'' by Morane-Saulnier in 1965.

===Production in Romania===
Licence production was started in Romania in October 1943 at the [[Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești|ICAR]] factory in [[Bucharest]]. Only 10 were built by the time the ICAR factory was bombed in May 1944. Production resumed later that year, but only six were completed before repair work halted production. Between June 1945 and 1946, a further 64 aircraft were built.<ref name="Mark Axworthy, Cornel Scafes, Cristian Craciunoiu. 1995, pp249–250">Axworthy et al. 1995, pp. 249–250.</ref>

===Summary of production===
Production per factory and per type until 31 March 1945:

{| class="wikitable"
! Type
! Fieseler
! Morane-Saulnier
! Mraz
! Leichtbau
! Total
|-
| A-0
| align="right" |10
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |10
|-
| B-0
| align="right" |14
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |14
|-
| B-1
| align="right" |36
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |36
|-
| C-1
| align="right" |286
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |286
|-
| C-2
| align="right" |239
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |239
|-
| C-3
| align="right" |1,230
| align="right" |525
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |1,755
|-
| C-7
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |259
| align="right" |32
| align="right" |63
| align="right" |354
|-
| D-1
| align="right" |117
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |117
|-
| D-2
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| align="right" |46
| align="right" |10
| align="right" |56
|-
! Total
! 1,908
! 784
! 78
! 73
! 2,867
|}

===Modern developments===
[[File:Slepcev Storch HB-YKQ at IBT'11.jpg|thumb|Slepcev Storch]]
Because of its superb STOL characteristics, there have been many attempts to recreate or copy the ''Storch'', mainly in the form of various three-quarter scale [[homebuilt aircraft]], such as the [[Pazmany PL-9 Stork]], Roger Mann's [[RagWing RW19 Stork]], and Preceptors [[Preceptor STOL King|STOL King]].

As an example, the [[Slepcev Storch]] is a three-quarter scale reproduction of the original with some simplifications. The use of modern materials provides better STOL performance than the original with a take-off run of 30&nbsp;m and landing-roll of 50&nbsp;m with no headwind. It was originally designed and manufactured in Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Type Certificate for the Slepcev Storch |url=http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/casadata/cota/download/va505.pdf |website=Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia), www.casa.gov.au |access-date= |date= |archive-date=2015-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405031902/http://casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/casadata/cota/download/va505.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is now manufactured in Serbia.<ref name="Slepcev">{{cite web |title=Slepcev Storch |url=http://www.slepcevstorch.com/ |website=www.slepcevstorch.com |access-date=10 April 2011 |date=}}</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Fieseler Fi156.jpg|thumb|right|Fi 156 in flight]]
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a high-wing [[monoplane]] that was particularly effective in terms of its short take off and landing ("[[STOL]]") performance. Its nickname of ''[[Stork|Storch]]'' was derived from the lengthy legs of its main [[landing gear]], which hung down during flight and gave the aircraft the appearance of a long-legged, big-winged bird. As a product of its relatively low landing speed, the ''Storch'' often gave the appearance of landing vertically, or even backwards, when flying directly into strong winds.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} The aircraft was typically crewed by three personnel seated with its enclosed cabin, which was extensively glazed as to provide generous external views.<ref name = "smithkay 1423">Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 142-143.</ref> The structure was composed of welded [[steel]] tubing while the covering was [[fabric]]. Both the tail unit and wings were composed of wood, the latter being clad in [[plywood]].<ref name = "smithkay 143">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 143.</ref>

The Fi 156 had relatively lengthy wings for its size. A fixed [[Leading-edge slats|slat]] ran along the entire length of the wing's [[leading edge]] while a hinged and slotted set of control surfaces ran along the entire length of [[trailing edge]]. This arrangement was allegedly inspired by an earlier [[Junkers]] wing design concept, referred to as a ''Doppelflügel'' or "double-wing" aircraft wing control surface.{{CN|date=February 2024}} On the Fi 156, this setup along each wing panel's trailing edge was split nearly 50/50 between the inboard-located [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]] and outboard-located [[aileron]]s, which, in turn, included [[trim tab]] devices over half of each aileron's trailing edge length. This combination of flaps and slats has been heavily attributed for the aircraft's favourable STOL performance.<ref name = "smithkay 145">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 145.</ref>

An uncommon feature for land-based aircraft was the ability to [[folding wing|fold back]] the wings of the aircraft along the fuselage, which was somewhat similar to the wings of the [[Royal Navy|Royal Navy's]] [[Fairey Swordfish]] [[torpedo bomber]]; when folded, the aircraft could be carried on a trailer or even directly towed (albeit slowly) behind a vehicle. The primary hinge for the folding wing was located in the [[wing root]], where the rear wing spar met the cabin.

The long legs of the main [[landing gear]] was furnished with both oil and spring-based [[shock absorber]]s that had a travel of 40&nbsp;cm (15-3/4&nbsp;inches), sufficient to permit landings to be conducted on comparatively rough and uneven surfaces; this was combined with a "pre-travel" distance of 20&nbsp;cm, before the [[Oleo strut|oleos]] began damping the landing gear shock.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sengfelder |first=Günther |date=1993 |title=German Aircraft Landing Gear |location=Atglen, PA, USA |publisher=Schiffer Publishing |page=84 |isbn=0-88740-470-7 |quote=(Photo caption) The long shock absorber leg of the Fi 156 with its streamlined fairing. 200 mm of idle stroke was available in addition to the 400 mm stroke of the shock absorber.}}</ref>

While initial models were unarmed, starting with the C-2 variant, the Fi 156 was fitted with a raised, fully-glazed position for a flexible rear-firing [[MG 15]] [[7.92×57mm Mauser|7.92mm]] machine gun for self-defense.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Fieseler Fi 156 - Overview |url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fieseler_fi_156.html |access-date = 20 August 2020 |website = historyofwar.org}}</ref><ref name = "smithkay 145"/>

==Operational history==
===Second World War===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-567-1503C-04, Gran Sasso, Fieseler Fi 156 »Storch«.jpg|thumb|The ''Storch'' involved in Mussolini's rescue in the [[Gran Sasso raid]].]]

The ''Storch'' was extensively operated by the ''Luftwaffe''. Several reconnaissance units operated the type, such as [[Aufklärungsgruppe 14]] and [[Aufklärungsgruppe 21]].<ref name = "smithkay 146"/> Furthermore, each [[Geschwader]] was provided with at least one, if not multiple, Fi 156s. Numerous high ranking German officials, particularly members of the [[German General Staff|General Staff]], had their own Fi 156s, including Field Marshals [[Albert Kesselring]] and [[Erwin Rommel]].<ref name = "smithkay 146">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 146.</ref>

Throughout the Second World War, the Fi 156 was deployed in quantity to virtually all theatres that [[Nazi Germany]] was militarily active upon; as such, it saw usage in the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]], [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]], the [[Western Desert]], and even the [[Arctic]].<ref name = "smithkay 1456">Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 145-146.</ref>

During the [[German invasion of Belgium (1940)|German invasion of Belgium]], in addition to its more routine usage in the liaison role, around 100 Fi 156s were used to transport a battalion of [[Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland]], two men per aircraft, landing on a stretch of road behind enemy lines (Operation Niwi).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frieser |first1=Karl-Heinz |last2=Westwood |first2=John T |title=The Blitzkrieg Legend; The 1940 Campaign in the West |date=2005 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=1591142946 |page = 123}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland, Operation Niwi |url=https://www.avalanchepress.com/1940_GD.php |publisher=Avalanche Press |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref>

During the [[North African campaign]], the [[Afrika Korps]] made routine use of the ''Storch'' both for transportation and to conduct aerial surveillance. It was also operated by a pair of dedicated desert rescue squadrons to retrieve stranded pilots in this theatre.<ref name = "smithkay 146"/>

During September 1943, the Storch played a pivotal role in [[Gran Sasso raid|''Operation Eiche'']], the rescue of deposed Italian dictator [[Benito Mussolini]] from a boulder-strewn mountain-top near the [[Gran Sasso]]. Even though the mountain was surrounded by Italian troops, German [[commando]] [[Otto Skorzeny]] and 90 [[paratrooper]]s used gliders to land on the peak and quickly captured it, then faced the problem of getting back. A [[Focke-Achgelis Fa 223]] [[helicopter]] was sent, but it broke down en route. Instead, pilot Heinrich Gerlach flew in a ''Storch''. It landed in 30&nbsp;m (100&nbsp;ft), and after Mussolini and Skorzeny boarded, it took off after a run of 80&nbsp;m (250&nbsp;ft), even though the aircraft was overloaded. The ''Storch'' used in rescuing Mussolini bore the radio code letters, or ''Stammkennzeichen'', of "SJ + LL"<ref>{{cite web |title=The LEMB Stammkennzeichen Database |url=http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-s.html |website=www.luftwaffe-experten.org |access-date=9 September 2024 |archive-date=10 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010074632/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-s.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> in the motion picture coverage of the daring rescue.

On 26 April 1945, a ''Storch'' was one of the last aircraft to land on the improvised airstrip in the [[Grosser Tiergarten|Tiergarten]] near the [[Brandenburg Gate]] during the [[Battle of Berlin]] and the death throes of [[Nazi Germany]]. It was flown by the test pilot [[Hanna Reitsch]], who flew ''Generalfeldmarschall'' [[Robert Ritter von Greim]] from [[Munich]] to Berlin to answer a summons from Hitler.<ref>Beevor 2002, p. 322.</ref><ref name = "smithkay 147">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 147.</ref>

[[File:Air Vice Marshal Broadhurst in his Fi 156 Italy c1943.jpg|thumb|right|Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst and his ''Storch'', Italy, 1943]]
A ''Storch'' was the final aircraft to be shot down by the Allies on the Western Front, and another was forced down by an L-4 Grasshopper, the military version of the American [[Piper J-3 Cub]] civilian training and sport aircraft and a direct Allied counterpart of the Storch. The pilot and co-pilot of the L-4, lieutenants Duane Francis and Bill Martin, opened fire on the ''Storch'' with their [[M1911 pistol|.45 caliber pistols]], forcing the German air crew to land and surrender.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/eAf0maieLjs Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190515131905/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAf0maieLjs&list=UUfCKvREB11-fxyotS1ONgww&index=30 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAf0maieLjs |title = Grasshopper (sic) vs. Fieseler Storch - WW2's Weirdest Dogfight (NB actually refers to a Piper Cub rather than a grasshopper) |website=[[YouTube]] |date = 18 February 2019 |access-date=9 September 2024}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

During the conflict, several ''Störche'' were captured by the Allies. One became the personal aircraft of British [[Field Marshal]] [[Bernard Montgomery]]. Others were used as the personal aircraft of Air Vice Marshal [[Arthur Coningham (RAF officer)|Arthur Coningham]] and Air Vice Marshal [[Harry Broadhurst]], who acquired his ''Storch'' in North Africa, and flew it subsequently in Italy and North-West Europe. The British captured 145 Fi 156s, of which 64 were given to the French as war compensation from Germany.{{CN|date=February 2024}}

===Postwar activities===
[[File:Fieseler Fi-156 OE-ADS Sprayer STT 29.07.65 edited-3.jpg|thumb|right|An Austrian-registered ''Storch'' fitted with spraying equipment at [[Stuttgart Airport]] in 1965]]
Both the [[French Air Force]] (''Armée de l'Air'') and the [[French Army Light Aviation]] (''Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre'') operated the ''Criquet'' between 1945 and 1958. Accordingly, the type saw battlefield service in French hands during both the [[Indochina War]] and the [[Algerian War]].

The [[Swiss Air Force]], as well as several other mountainous European countries, continued to use the ''Storch'' to conduct rescue operations in challenging terrain where STOL performance was necessary. One of the more historically significant operations involving the type was the [[1946 C-53 Skytrooper crash on the Gauli Glacier|Gauli Glacier crash]] rescue in November 1946, where a pair of [[Swiss Air Force#History|''Flugwaffe'']]-flown Storches were the sole means of safely retrieving the twelve survivors of the crash. After the Second World War, numerous aircraft were used in utility roles, including [[Aerial application|agricultural spraying]]. Even into the twenty-first century, numerous Storches have remained operational, the type has become a common sight at air shows. In North America, both the [[Collings Foundation]] and the [[Fantasy of Flight]] museum have airworthy Fi 156 ''Storch'' aircraft in their collections.

==Variants==
* '''Fi 156 V1''': Prototype equipped with an adjustable metal propeller, registration D-IKVN (produced in 1935–1936)
* '''Fi 156 V2''': Prototype equipped with a wooden propeller. First prototype to fly (May 10, 1936). registration D-IDVS (produced in 1935–1936)
* '''Fi 156 V3''': Prototype identical to the V2. Test machine for various radio equipment, registration D-IGLI (produced in 1936)
* '''Fi 156 V4''': Prototype identical to the V3. Skis for landing gear and disposable auxiliary tank. (produced in 1936–1937)
* '''Fi 156 V5''': Production prototype for A-series. (produced in 1937)
* '''Fi 156 A-0''': Pre-production aircraft, identical to the V3. Ten aircraft were produced. (produced in 1937–1938)
* '''Fi 156 A-1''': First production models for service, ordered into production by the ''Luftwaffe'' with an order for 16 aircraft, the first production aircraft entered service in mid-1937. Some sources cite that only six were effectively produced. (produced in 1938)
* '''Fi 156 B''': Fitted with a new system which could retract the normally fixed leading edge slats and had minor aerodynamic cleanups, boosting the speed to 208&nbsp;km/h (130&nbsp;mph). The ''Luftwaffe'' did not consider such a small difference to be important and the Fi-156 B was not produced.
* '''Fi 156 C-0''': Pre-production. Essentially a "flexible" version of the A model. (produced in 1939)
* '''Fi 156 C-1''': Three-seat liaison version. (produced in 1939–1940)
* '''Fi 156 C-2''': Two-seat observation type, which had a raised, fully glazed rear dorsal gun position for mounting a [[MG 15 machine gun]] for defense. (produced in 1940)
* '''Fi 156 C-3''': Replaced the C-1 and C-2 with a "universal cockpit" suited for any role. (produced in 1940–1941)
* '''Fi 156 C-3/Trop''': Version adapted for tropical and desert conditions. Filtered intakes. (produced in 1940–1942)
* '''Fi 156 C-5''': Addition of a belly [[hardpoint]] for a camera pod or jettisionable auxiliary tanks. Some were fitted with skis, rather than wheels, for operation on snow. (produced in 1941–1945)
* '''Fi 156 C-5/Trop''': Version adapted for tropical and desert conditions. Filtered intakes. (produced in 1941–1945)
* '''Fi 156 C-7''': Three-seat liaison version. "Flat" cockpit glazing similar to the C-1.
* '''Fi 156 D-0''': Pre-production version of the air ambulance version of the C model with a larger cockpit and extra rear fuselage-location starboard-side door for stretcher accommodation. Powered by an Argus As 10P engine. (produced in 1941)
* '''Fi 156 D-1''': Production version of the D-0. (produced in 1942–1945)
* '''Fi 156 E-0''': Liaison version identical to the C-1; 10 pre-production aircraft were fitted with tracked landing gear and were produced in 1941–1942.
* '''Fi 156 F or P''': Counter insurgency version. Identical to the C-3 with machine guns in side windows and bomb-racks and smoke layers. (produced in 1942)
* '''Fi 156 U''': Anti-submarine version. Identical to the C-3 with depth charge. (produced in 1940)
* '''Fi 156 K-1''': Export version of the C-1 (Bought by Sweden).
* '''Fi 256''': A five-seat civil version; two were built by [[Morane-Saulnier]].<ref name = "smithkay 1467">Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 146-147.</ref>
* '''MS.500''': Liaison version. French produced with 240&nbsp;hp French built [[Argus As 10|Argus]] engine, as the Fi 156 had used.
* '''MS.501''': With a 233&nbsp;hp [[Renault 6Q]] inverted, air-cooled "straight six" engine instead of the Argus inverted V8.
* '''MS.502''': Liaison version. Identical to the MS-500, with the Argus engine replaced by a 230&nbsp;hp [[Salmson 9 (air cooled engine)|Salmson 9ab]] radial engine.
* '''MS.504''': with a 304&nbsp;hp [[Jacobs R-755]]-A2 radial engine.
* '''MS.505''': Observation version of the MS-500 with the Argus engine replaced by a 304&nbsp;hp [[Jacobs R-755]]-A2 radial engine.
* '''MS.506''': with a 235&nbsp;hp [[Lycoming O-540]] engine.
* '''Mráz K-65 Čáp''': Production in Czechoslovakia after World War II.
* '''Antonov OKA-38''' ''Aist'' ("stork" in [[Russian language|Russian]]): An unlicensed Soviet copy of the Fi 156, powered by a copy of a Renault MV-6 inverted, air-cooled straight-six engine (similar to the Renault 6Q), was starting production as the factory was overrun by German forces in 1941

==Operators==
[[File:Argus As 10 C & Storch.jpg|right|thumb|[[Spanish Air Force]] Fi 156 and Argus As 10 engine at the [[Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Madrid)|Museo del Aire]] in [[Madrid]]]]
[[File:Fieseler Fi 156, S 14.jpg|right|thumb|[[Swedish Air Force]] S14 (Fi 156)]]
[[File:Captured Fi 156 North Africa in RAF service.jpg|right|thumb|A captured German Fieseler Fi 156C-3/''Trop'' Storch (ex "NM+ZS"), ''WkNr. 5620''.]]

;{{flag|Bulgaria}}: [[Bulgarian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Cambodia}}: [[Khmer Air Force|Royal Khmer Aviation]] - AVRK (Post war) and [[Khmer Air Force]] (KAF)
;{{flagcountry|Independent State of Croatia}}: [[Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia]]
;{{CSK}}
* [[Czechoslovak Air Force]] (Post war)
* Police aviation (<small>[[:cs:Bezpečnostní letectvo|cs]]</small>) (Post war)
;{{flag|Egypt|1922}}: [[Egyptian Air Force]]
;{{FIN}}: [[Finnish Air Force]]
;{{FRA}}
* [[French Air Force]] (Post war)
* [[French Navy]] (Post war)
* [[French Army]] (Post war)
;{{flag|Germany|Nazi}}: [[Luftwaffe]]
;{{GBR}}: [[Royal Air Force]]
;{{flag|Greece|old}}: [[Royal Hellenic Air Force]] (Post war)
;{{flag|Hungary|1920}}: [[Royal Hungarian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Italy|1861}}: [[Regia Aeronautica]]
;{{flag|Laos|1952}}: [[Royal Lao Air Force]] (Post war)
;{{flag|Morocco}}
* [[Royal Moroccan Air Force]] (Post war)
;{{NOR}}: [[Royal Norwegian Air Force]] (Post war)
;{{POL}}:
* [[Polish Air Force]] (Post war)
* [[Polish Navy]] (Post war)
;{{flag|Romania}}
* [[Royal Romanian Air Force]]
* [[Romanian Air Force]] (Post war)
;{{flag|Slovakia|1938}}: [[Slovak Air Force (1939–1945)]]
;{{flag|South Vietnam}}: [[Republic of Vietnam Air Force]] (Post war)<ref>Mesko 1981, pp. 1, 4.</ref>
;{{URS}}: [[Soviet Air Force]]
;{{ESP}}: [[Spanish Air Force]]
;{{SWE}}: [[Swedish Air Force]]
;{{CHE}}: [[Swiss Air Force]]<ref>{{harvnb|''Aeroplane Monthly'' March 1997|p=56}}</ref>
;{{flag|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}: [[Yugoslav Royal Air Force]]
;{{YUG}}: [[SFR Yugoslav Air Force]]

==Surviving aircraft==
=== Argentina ===
[[File:LV-ZIV Morane-Saulnier MS.502 Criquet (8164166412).jpg|right|thumb|Morane-Saulnier MS.502 Criquet, Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina, 2012]]
*  MS.502 Criquet at the [[Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina|Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica]], at [[Morón, Buenos Aires]].<ref>Cater & Caballero (IPMS Magazine May 2013)</ref>

===Austria===
* 110253 – Fi 156 on static display at the [[Museum of Military History]] in [[Vienna, Austria]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 Storch, s/n 3818 SweAF, c/n 110253, c/r D-ENPE |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=89276 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===Belgium===
* 5503 – S-14B on static display at the [[Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History]] in [[Brussels|Brussels, Brussels]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, s/n 3822 SweAF, c/n 5503 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=6065 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===Finland===
* 4230/39 – Fi 156 K-1 on display at the [[Finnish Aviation Museum]] in [[Vantaa|Vantaa, Uusimaa]]. It is the only surviving [[Finnish Air Force]] ''Storch''. It retains its civilian paint scheme and registration, OH-FSA, from its final owner. It previously carried the serial number ST-112 and the registration OH-VSF.<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, s/n ST-112 FiAF, c/n 4230/39, c/r OH-FSA |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=117437 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===Germany===
[[File:Fi-156 Storch right.jpg|right|thumb|Fi 156 displayed in the [[Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim]]]]
* 73 – MS.505 airworthy at the Fliegendes Museum in [[Großenhain Airport|Großenhain, Saxony]]. It is registered as D-EGTY and is painted in French Air Force colors.<ref>{{cite web |title = Morane Saulnier MS 505 Storch |url = http://www.fliegendes-museum.de/wordpress/de/flotte/morane-saulnier-ms-505-storch |website = Fliegendes Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 |language = de |archive-date = 18 November 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161118165513/http://www.fliegendes-museum.de/wordpress/de/flotte/morane-saulnier-ms-505-storch/ |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler-Morane-Saulnier MS.505 Criquet, c/r G-BWRF |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=125413 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 637 – MS.500 on static display at the [[Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr]] in [[Berlin|Berlin, Berlin]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler-Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet, s/n 637 ALA, c/n 637, c/r G-AZMH |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=118736 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 4299 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Bavaria.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch" |url = http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/collections/transport/aeronautics/propeller-planes/from-1918-up-to-1945/fieseler-fi-156-storch |website = Deutsches Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 |archive-date = 26 September 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170926194748/http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/collections/transport/aeronautics/propeller-planes/from-1918-up-to-1945/fieseler-fi-156-storch |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, s/n A-96 SwiAF, c/n 4299, c/r HB-ARU |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=28153 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 110062 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the [[Deutsches Technikmuseum]] in [[Berlin|Berlin, Berlin]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, s/n 237 BAPC, c/n 110062 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=28454 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 110254 – S-14 on static display at the [[Technik Museum Speyer]] in [[Speyer|Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler S-14 Storch, s/n Fv3819 SweAF, c/n 110254, c/r OE-ADS |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=28306 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* Composite – Fi 156 C-3 airworthy at the [[Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim]] in [[Munich, Bavaria]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi 156C Storch |url = http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/flugwerft/collections/propeller-driven-aircrafts/fieseler-fi-156 |website = Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156C-3 Storch, c/n 2070, c/r D-EAWD |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=8851 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===Italy===
* MM12822 – Fi 156 C-3 on display at [[Italian Air Force Museum]] in [[Bracciano, Lazio]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi.156 |url = http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/storia/museostorico/Pagine/FieselerFi156.aspx |website = Ministero Della Difesa |access-date = 28 November 2020}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2020}}

===Norway===
* 43 – MS.500 airworthy in [[Fetsund|Fetsund, Akershus]]. It has been restored as a Fi 156 C-3.<ref>{{cite web |title = The Project |url = http://www.storch.no/project.htm |website = Fieseler Storch |access-date = 30 May 2017 |archive-date = 15 May 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170515213709/http://www.storch.no/project.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>
* Composite – MS.500 on display at the [[Sola Aviation Museum]] in [[Stavanger|Stavanger, Rogaland]]. It has been converted to resemble a Fi 156 C-2 during restoration.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi 156 C-2 Storch |url = http://www.flymuseum-sola.no/fieseler-fi-156-c-2-storch |website = Flyhistorisk Museum Sola |date = 12 March 2013 |publisher = Flyhistorisk Museum |access-date = 30 July 2018 |language = no}}</ref>
* 2088 – Fi 156 A-1. It was restored by Peter Holloway, [[Shuttleworth Collection]] and is currently registered as LN-STC.<ref>{{cite web |title=Article on Shuttleworth Collection, dated 16 March 2010 |url=https://www.historynet.com/the-shuttleworth-collection-keeps-em-flying/ |website=Historynet.com |date=16 March 2010 |access-date=19 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Holloway talks about his Fi-156 Storch |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZ6xsDGG5k |website=youtube.com| date=24 May 2013 }}</ref>

===Serbia===
[[File:BAM-05-Fiesler Fi-156 Storch.jpg|right|thumb|[[Yugoslav Air Force]] K-65 at [[Belgrade Aviation Museum]], Serbia.]]
* c/n 91 – Mráz K-65 Čáp on static display at the [[Belgrade Aviation Museum]] in [[Surčin|Surčin, Belgrade]]. It was converted to a medical transport and has the registration YU-COE.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi 156 Storch / Mráz K-65 Čáp |url = http://www.aeronauticalmuseum.com/eksponati.php?jez=eng&id=42 |website = Aeronautical Museum Belgrade |publisher = Aeronautical museum-Belgrade |access-date = 18 November 2016 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161118100845/http://www.aeronauticalmuseum.com/eksponati.php?jez=eng&id=42 |archive-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===South Africa===
* 475099 – Fi 156 C-7 airworthy at the [[South African Air Force Museum]] at [[Air Force Base Swartkop]] in [[Centurion, Gauteng]]. It is painted in the Luftwaffe markings VT+TD.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fiesler 156 Storch |url = http://saafmuseum.org.za/fieseler-fi-156-storch |website = South African Air Force Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler-Mraz Fi-156C-7 Storch, s/n 200 SAAF, c/n 475099 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=165395 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref> It was acquired by the [[South African Air Force]] in 1946.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

===Spain===
* Composite – Fi 156 C-3 on display at the [[Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Madrid)|Museo del Aire]] in [[Madrid]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Hangar 3 del Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica |url = http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=E5145185FA1157E1C125746C002E58F4 |publisher = Ejército del Aire |access-date = 18 November 2016 |language = es |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180118123310/http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=E5145185FA1157E1C125746C002E58F4 |archive-date = 18 January 2018 |url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, c/n 2027/2 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=19646 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===Switzerland===
* 1685 – Fi 156 C-3 on static display at the [[Flieger-Flab-Museum]] in [[Dubendorf|Dubendorf, Zurich]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156C-3 Storch, s/n A-100 SwiAF, c/n 1685 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=5210 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 8063 – Fi 156 C-3/Trop on static display at the [[Swiss Museum of Transport]] in [[Lucerne|Lucerne, Lucerne]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, s/n A-97 SwiAF, c/n 8063 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=28325 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
* 475081 – Fi 156 C-7 on static display at the [[Kent Battle of Britain Museum]] at [[Hawkinge]], after its donation and transfer  in late June 2025 from the [[Royal Air Force Museum Cosford]] in [[Cosford, Shropshire]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Storch |url = http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/fieseler-storch |website = Royal Air Force Museum |publisher = Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 |archive-date = 18 November 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161118165539/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/fieseler-storch |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1 = Simpson |first1 = Andrew |title = INDIVIDUAL HISTORY |url = http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/collections/1989-0315-AF-FIESLER-Storch.pdf |website = Royal Air Force Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 |date = 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156C-3 Storch, s/n VP546 RAF, c/n 475081 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=43206 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>

===United States===
[[File:Fieseler Storch French Markings.jpg|thumb|N778MS, a privately owned MS.500 flying at the Wings Over Houston airshow, October 2019.]]
* 4 – MS.500 airworthy with a private owner in [[Seabrook, Texas]]. It is registered as N778MS.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAA Registry [N778MS] |url=http://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N778MS |website=Federal Aviation Administration |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date=4 March 2025}}</ref>
* 381 – MS.502 on static display at the [[Planes of Fame Air Museum]] in [[Chino, California]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Flying & Static Aircraft |url = http://planesoffame.org/index.php?page=81 |website = Planes of Fame Air Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 |archive-date = 25 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171025075035/http://planesoffame.org/index.php?page=81 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, c/n 381, c/r N57962 |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=8083 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 724 – MS.500 on static display at the [[Pima Air & Space Museum]] in [[Tucson, Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web |title = CRIQUET |url = http://www.pimaair.org/aircraft-by-name/item/morane-saulnier-ms-500-criquet |website = Pima Air & Space Museum |publisher = Pimaair.org |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 728 – MS.502 airworthy at the [[War Eagles Air Museum]] in [[Santa Teresa, New Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Fi-156 Fieseler Storch |url = http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/exhibit.php?id=12 |website = War Eagles Air Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = FAA REGISTRY [N28670] |url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N28670 |website = Federal Aviation Administration |publisher = U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 1024 – MS.500 D2<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hemmatyar |first1=Nabi |title=VE Day Presentation on Bf 108 and Fi 156 (33 min 9 sec) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-VRb1KmGF4&t=1989s |website=youtube.com |publisher=[[CAF Southern California Wing Museum|CAFSoCal]] |language=en |format=video |date=June 3, 2023}}</ref> under restoration to airworthiness with the [[CAF Southern California Wing Museum|Southern California Wing]] of the [[Commemorative Air Force]] in [[Camarillo, California]].<ref>{{cite web  |title = Fi 156 Storch - N40FS  |url = http://www.fundrazr.com/f25qJc  |website = Fundrazr  |access-date = 2 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fieseler-Morane-Saulnier MS-502 Criquet, s/n 361 ALA, c/n 361, c/r N40FS |url = http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=57607 |website = Aerial Visuals |access-date = 2 January 2024}}</ref>
* 3452 – Fi 156 C-7 airworthy with a private owner in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]. It is registered as N156SF.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAA Registry [N156SF] |url=http://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N156SF |website=Federal Aviation Administration |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref>
* 3808 – Fi 156 C-1 on static display at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]]. It was built in 1940.<ref>{{cite web |title = Fieseler Fi-156C-1 Storch |url = https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196289/fieseler-fi-156c-2-storch/ |website = National Museum of the US Air Force |access-date = 18 November 2016 |date = 16 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156C-1 Storch, s/n 4389 SweAF, c/n 3808, c/r N156SV |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=73501 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref>
* 4362 – Fi 156 C-2 airworthy at the [[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]] in [[Everett, Washington]].<ref>{{cite web |title = FIESELER FI 156 C-2 STORCH |url = http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=15 |website = Flying Heritage Collection |publisher = Friends of Flying Heritage |access-date = 18 November 2016 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161114121631/http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=15 |archive-date = 14 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156C-2 Storch, c/n 4362, c/r N436FS |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=14780 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = FAA REGISTRY [N436FS] |url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N436FS |website = Federal Aviation Administration |publisher = U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 4621 – MS.500 airworthy with the [[Collings Foundation]] in [[Stow, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web |title = FIESELER FI-156 STORCH |url = http://www.collingsfoundation.org/aircrafts/fiesler-fi-156-storch |website = Collings Foundation |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler Fi-156 / MS-500, c/r N156FC |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=39371 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = FAA REGISTRY [N156FC] |url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N156FC |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161118164746/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N156FC |url-status = dead |archive-date = November 18, 2016 |website = Federal Aviation Administration |publisher = U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}</ref> bearing the ''Geschwaderkennung'' "B1+BB" of a Luftwaffe "flight-readiness" support unit.{{cn|date=September 2022|reason=ref to unreliable source removed}}
* 4642 – MS.500 airworthy at the [[Fantasy of Flight]] museum in [[Polk City, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web |title = 1937 Fieseler Fi-156 Storch |url = https://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/aircraft/wwii/1937-fieseler-fi-156-storch |website = Fantasy of Flight |date = 18 September 2013 |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Airframe Dossier - Fiesler-Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet, c/n 4642, c/r N156FS |url = http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=18903 |website = Aerial Visuals |publisher = AerialVisuals.ca |access-date = 18 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = FAA REGISTRY [N156FS] |url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N156FS |website = Federal Aviation Administration |publisher = U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* Unknown ID – MS.500 in storage at the [[Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility]] of the [[National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Suitland, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Morane-Saulnier MS.500 (Fieseler Fi 156 Storch) |url = http://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/morane-saulnier-ms500-fieseler-fi-156-storch |website = Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum |access-date = 18 November 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Specifications (Fi 156C-2)==
[[File:Fiesler Fi 156 C-3 Storch.svg|300px|right]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref= ''The Warplanes of the Third Reich''<ref>Green 1970, p. 168.</ref>
|prime units?= met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew= 2
|capacity=
|length ft= 32
|length in= 6
|length note=
|span ft= 46
|span in= 9
|span note=
|height ft= 10
|height in= 0
|height note=
|wing area sqm= 26
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb= 2,050
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb= 2,920
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number= 1
|eng1 name= [[Argus As 10]]
|eng1 type= V-8 inverted air-cooled piston engine
|eng1 kw= 180
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number= 2
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph= 109
|max speed note= at sea level
|cruise speed mph= 81
|cruise speed note= (economic cruise)
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range mi= 240
|range note= at {{convert|93|mph|km/h mph kn|order=out|abbr=on}} and {{convert|3280|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft= 15,090
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin= 905
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 1 × [[MG 15 machine gun]]
}}

==See also==
{{Aircontent
|related=
* [[Carlson Criquet]] a three-quarter scale variant for homebuilders
* [[Fieseler Fi 97]]
* [[Pazmany PL-9 Stork]] a three-quarter scale variant for homebuilders
* [[RagWing RW19 Stork]] a three-quarter scale variant for homebuilders
* [[Slepcev Storch]] a three-quarter scale variant for homebuilders
* [[Criquet Storch]] a three-quarter scale variant
|similar aircraft=
* [[Henschel Hs 126]]
* [[Kobeseiko Te-Gō]]
* [[Kokusai Ki-76]]
* [[Meridionali Ro.63]]
* [[Messerschmitt Bf 163]]
* [[Miles Messenger]]
* [[Piper L-4]]
* [[Polikarpov Po-2]]
* [[Repülőgépgyár Levente II]]
* [[Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly]]
* [[Siebel Si 201]]
* [[Stinson L-1 Vigilant]]
* [[Westland Lysander]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of military aircraft of Germany]]
* [[List of non-carrier aircraft flown from aircraft carriers]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite magazine |last1 = Axworthy |first1 = Mark |title = On Three Fronts: Romania's Aircraft Industry During World War Two |magazine = [[Air Enthusiast]] |number = 56 |pages = 8–27 |location = Stamford, UK |publisher = Key Publishing |year = 1994 |issn = 0143-5450}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Axworthy |first1 = Mark |first2 = Cornel |last2 = Scafes |first3 = Cristian |last3 = Craciunoiu |title = Third Axis Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945 |location = London, UK |publisher = Arms & Armour Press |date = 1995 |isbn = 1-85409-267-7}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Bateson |first1 = Richard |title = ''Fieseler Fi 156 Storch'' Aircraft Profile No. 228 |location = Windsor, Berkshire, UK |publisher = Profile Publications Ltd. |year = 1971 |asin = B000J443X2}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Beevor |first1 = Antony |title = Berlin: The Downfall 1945 |location = London, UK |publisher = Penguin Books |date = 2002 |isbn = 0-670-88695-5}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Green |first1 = William |title = The Warplanes of the Third Reich |location = Garden City, New York, US |publisher =Doubleday and Company, Inc. |year = 1970 |isbn = 0-385-05782-2}}
* {{cite magazine |title=Interned! |magazine=[[Aeroplane Monthly]] |date=March 1997 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=54–57 |issn=0143-7240 |ref={{harvid|''Aeroplane Monthly'' March 1997}} }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Karnas |first1 = Dariusz |first2 = Pawel |last2 = Przymusiala |title = Fi 156 Storch Vol.1 (Militaria n.68) |location = Warsaw, Poland |publisher = Wydawnictwo |year = 1998 |isbn = 83-7219-019-4}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Karnas |first1 = Dariusz |first2 = Pawel |last2 = Przymusiala |title = Fi 156 Storch Vol.2 (Militaria n.100) |location = Warsaw, Poland |publisher = Wydawnictwo |year = 1999 |isbn = 83-7219-059-3}}
* {{cite journal |last1 = Kulikov |first1 = Victor |title = Des occasions en or pour Staline, ou les avions allemands en URSS |journal = Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire |date = March 2000 |issue = 84 |pages = 16–23 |trans-title = Golden Opportunities for Stalin, or German Aircraft in the USSR |language = fr |issn = 1243-8650}}
* {{cite journal |last1 = Kulikov |first1 = Victor |title = Des occasions en or pour Staline, ou les avions allemands en URSS |journal = Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire |date = April 2000 |issue=85 |pages = 44–49 |language = fr |issn = 1243-8650}}
* Mesko, Jim. "The Rise...and Fall of the Vietnamese AF". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', August–November 1981, No. 16. pp.&nbsp;1–12, 78–80. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* {{cite book |last = Munson |first = Kenneth |title = German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour |location = Poole, Dorsett, UK |publisher = Blandford Press |year = 1978 |isbn = 0-7137-0860-3}}
* Ricco, Philippe and Jean-Claude Soumille. ''Les Avions Allemands aux Couleurs Francaises, Tome 1''. Rochemaure, France: Airdoc, 1997. {{ISBN|2-9509485-5-3}}.
* {{cite book |last = Sinnhuber |first = Karl |title = Salzburg To Stalingrad |location =  UK |publisher = Milton Keynes |year = 2012 |isbn = 978-1-471-70222-8}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Smith |first1 = John Richard |first2 = Anthony L. |last2 = Kay |first3 = Eddie J. |last3 = Creek |title = German Aircraft of the Second World War |location = London, UK |publisher = Putnam and Company Ltd. |year = 1972 |isbn = 978-1-55750-010-6}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Soumille |first1 = Jean-Claude |title = L'Aviation Francaise en Indochine 1946–1954, Tome 2 |location = Rochemaure |publisher = Airdoc |year = 1997}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Winchester |first1 = Jim |title = Aircraft of World War II |location = San Diego, California |publisher = Thunder Bay Press |year = 2004 |isbn = 1-59223-224-8}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite magazine |last1=Cater |first1=Phil |last2=Caballero |first2=Ricardo |date=May 2013 |title=The Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica Buenos Aires |url=http://museonacionaldeaeronauticamoron.blogspot.com/2014/01/ |magazine=IPMS Magazine |location=United Kingdom |publisher=International Plastic Modellers Society |access-date= 7 March 2022}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130409154117/http://www.fliegendes-museum.de/Morane_Saulnier_MS_505.html Fliegendes Museum]
* [http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/Fiesler/fi-156-en.htm a restored ''Storch'' – the Fi 156 ''Storch'' C3 of the Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115191021/http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/Fiesler/fi-156-en.htm |date=2020-01-15 }}
* [https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-birth-of-alpine-air-rescues-in-switzerland-a-821515.html Swiss air rescue operation 1946]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZouzzfZcrg The Collings Foundation's MS 500 Reenactment of a Luftwaffe flight-readiness unit's takeoff video]
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[[Category:1930s German military utility aircraft]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:STOL aircraft]]
[[Category:Fieseler aircraft|Fi 156]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1936]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]
[[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]