German STORCH of WWII

[Another Ahab]

rinob recently posted a photo of a Unimog, and in the background was a restored Storch.

I did a search but couldn't find a thread for the aircraft (I know, I know; I might have missed it).

Amazing airframe, it was state-of-the-art STOL (short take-off and landing); and so effective that Eisenhower (as Supreme Allied Commander) made use of a captured one for his official personal travel during the War.

The only other use of an enemy's material like that during war I can think of is 1) Alexander and his Generals using Indian War Elephants: 4th Century BCE 2) Chinese using Mongol recurve bows: 11th Century , and 3) Germany using French artillery (75 mm) during WWII; 20th Century. I'm likely missing a lot more examples; i just don't know.

Just curious if anyone is tuned into the Storch, and has some interesting stories to tell about it.

 

[CARNAC]

It has such a slow landing speed it can land in twice it's length. I would love to have one. There are several sites out there with information concerning them. It is beyond a doubt one of my favorite planes. Never saw anything showing Eisenhower used one....interesting.

Speaking of light observation aircraft, I recall a story I read somewhere that Patton used L4/L5's for crossing the Rhine. Supposedly he place one infantryman in the aircraft with pilot and they were ferried across the Rhine landed, got out, went back for another. Supposedly got a company across to secure the far side to support the initial bridgehead. Anyone else hear of this or knows where this story is at. I searched the web for it before and can't 're-find' it in my readings.

 

[MWMULES]

That's a 3/4 scale version of a Fi 156 Storch and was built in Serbia post war, lepcev Storch SS4-UL (LX-XMR) and is out of Luxembourg.

 

[Another Ahab]

It has such a slow landing speed it can land in twice it's length. I would love to have one. There are several sites out there with information concerning them. It is beyond a doubt one of my favorite planes. Never saw anything showing Eisenhower used one....interesting.

Land in twice it's length??!! That's almost rotary-wing stuff. Unbelievable. Stall speed must be about 25 MPH!

Here's a picture of Eisenhower's Storch:

 

[Hoefler]

That long landing gear works great for landing in off airport situations. The prop stays well out of the rubble.
Always wanted to fly one.
Pete

 

[CARNAC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZouzzfZcrg

Although it can surely do better, here's one taking off in fairly short distance...and it's got a pretty beefy guy in the back.

 

[CARNAC]

Probably a better video of t/o and landing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTEpbv5dHEQ

 

[Hoefler]

That is so nice. Thanks for posting.
Beautiful.
Pete

 

[Another Ahab]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZouzzfZcrg

Although it can surely do better, here's one taking off in fairly short distance...and it's got a pretty beefy guy in the back.

The thing just floats…pretty remarkable.

I like the vintage historic Volkswagen "Bug" in the background.

 

[southdave]

their video out there of german navy doing an aircraft carrier development with this plane.. I like the OWL twin boom sucker version of stork

 

[Another Ahab]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZouzzfZcrg

Although it can surely do better, here's one taking off in fairly short distance...and it's got a pretty beefy guy in the back.

Your observation is reminding me of a story I almost forgot about My Old Man telling me; about his war service in WWII (thanks for jogging my grey matter, CARNAC):

- He was a forward observer for an artillery battery, and used to go up on occasion in a small plane (i don't remember if he told me whether L4 or L5) for spotting.

- Said that the pilot they had for the work was huge, like almost 300 pounds, and by regulation was not supposed to be qualified for any flying; it was breaking the rules.

- But the guy was just such a **** good pilot that everybody -including the Command- doctored the records and looked the other way.

- Dad never said he liked it or didn't like it; but i'm guessing he didn't like much being up there in that plane. It must have felt pretty vulnerable, they were flying in hostile territory, slow and low and directly over German positions. Low because that way there was less chance of being spotted and shot at in time, before you just flew off and were gone.

- But he did tell me that that guy "Tiny" (or whatever his name was), was the man he always wanted to be with when he went up for observation. Said being with that pilot - as big as he was (told me the man could barely squeeze into the cockpit)- always made him feel confident about the flying. Said that guy "was good".

 

[CARNAC]

Also probably because Tiny would have been a good bullet stop. LOL.

Try out this story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Carpenter_(lieutenant_colonel)

 

[61sleepercab]

My father saw in the 1950's in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia a German marked plane similar to a Piper Cub that a man who was in the service in WWII told his men to disassemble the plane, crate it and he had it shipped some how to the USA. Some war toy! He flew the plane that had been abandoned at a German air field.

More interesting is the system of a wire line strung between two davits over the side of a Liberty Ship and the modified Allied spotter plane which had a hook mechanism above the wing that caught the wire to take off and land. There was some island in the Mediterranean Sea that was full of rocks and could not be landed on so the system was born. They also built a land based tower and wire landing strip for rough ground landing. Remember also the blimp based fighters and the jet Goblin? fighter that stored in the bomber bomb bay. I have seen tv programs on these freaks.
The German Storch was and is a wonder of flight. There are some good youtube video from Florida's Fantasy of Flight Museum on the plane.

 

[M813rc]

Otto Skorzeny used a Storch to fly Mussolini out when he rescued him from Gran Sasso. That's a cool story.

There was a red painted Storch operated out of Weston airfield in Ireland, which was used for some filming of the movie the Blue Max. My aunt was set director for that movie, so as a kid I got taken to watch quite a bit of the filming. She managed to get me a ride in the Storch, which was brilliant fun for a 6-year old.
I was particularly impressed by the carriage of various aircraft hulks aloft by a Sikorsky Skycrane, which dropped them smoking/burning from altitude during dogfight scenes.

Incidentally, my aunt later won an Oscar for her work as set director on Out of Africa.

I am guessing that Southdave's Owl he refers to is the FW-189, another cool Argus powered aircraft.

Cheers

 

[CARNAC]

61Sleepercab,

Your talking about the Brodie Landing System. Launched normally from LSTs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9vAWEgw6cc

 

[123mack]

German newsreel of the rescue of Mussolini. The paratroops landed by glider. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Q5c2DBs8I

 

[Another Ahab]

Good finds in these videos, including the Nazi propaganda film. Thanks for all the good input. Hitler loved his filmmakers, and they were good (like Leni Riefenstahl).

Lot of Nazi big-hitters in the film (Hitler, Ribbentrop, and Goering).

Seems like many of the top Nazi's all had some weird characteristic (not much surprise there). Here is a reference to Goering and his penchant for painting his nails, go figure:


View attachment Marseille-Hitler:Goring.pdf

 

[BELinNC]

I too have been fascinated by storches. Over the years have been very tempted to get one of the 3/4 scale reproduction kit planes. There is a beautiful original at the aviation museum in Virginia Beach. They have a lot of exotic warbirds.

 

[Another Ahab]

That's a 3/4 scale version of a Fi 156 Storch and was built in Serbia post war, lepcev Storch SS4-UL (LX-XMR) and is out of Luxembourg.

I too have been fascinated by storches. Over the years have been very tempted to get one of the 3/4 scale reproduction kit planes. There is a beautiful original at the aviation museum in Virginia Beach. They have a lot of exotic warbirds.

I'm guessing these are some examples of the full-scale size:

 

[Another Ahab]

Buy your own; "…practically vertical take-offs and landings...":


http://youtu.be/n7tw30h9EjQ