Hobby Boss 80181 Fieseler Fi-156 C-3/TROP Storch 1:35

The Fieseler Fi-156 was an excellent light aircraft built by Germany prior to and during WWII to meet the requirements of a short takeoff and landing (STOL) airplane. Production started in 1937 at the Fieseler factory in Kassel, then switched to the Morane-Saulnier factory in Puteaux, in occupied France in 1942. It was also manufactured in Romania. It continued in production in France after the end of the war.

The Storch was used on every front throughout the entire war. The aircraft was not built for speed. The only rounded shape was the engine cowling, which was followed by a boxy, angled body and long, spindly fixed landing struts which were the source of it's nickname, "stork". Powered by a 240hp engine, it could hover over a battlefield, flying at 35 mph. Suprisingly, at that speed, it was a difficult target for other aircraft to hit. It could land in 30 meters and take off in less than 80, although in windy conditions it could reportedly just drop to the ground safely, or even land flying backwards. It could be used as a taxi, for recon/observation, as an air ambulance, and perhaps most famously, for the rescue of Mussolini. It was very reliable and popular design and captured examples were used by the Allies, notably Montgomery, who used one as his personal transport, and Eisenhower, who pressed on into service in France.

The Fi-156 C-3 varied from previously produced aircraft by offering a "Universal" cockpit that could be used for observation or liason. It had a convertible rear seat, carried an MG 15 for self defense, added supports to the landing struts and increased range with the addition of fuel tanks in the wings. The "Tropen" version included filtered intakes for dusty climates. The C-3 variant was the most widely produced type of the Fi-156, with 1,230 produced by Fieseler and 525 built at the Morane-Saulnier plant.