In Box Review of Scale Craft/Esci 1/48th Scale
German Fiesler Fi-156C "Storch" or "Grasshopper"
Kit no. SC-4019
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright is 1967.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright is 1967.
HISTORY:
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (English: Stork) was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II. Production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. It remains famous for its excellent STOL performance; French-built later variants often appear at air shows.
In 1935, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Aviation Ministry) invited several aviation companies to submit design proposals that would compete for the production contract for a new Luftwaffe aircraft design suitable for liaison, army co-operation (today called forward air control), and medical evacuation.
This resulted in the Messerschmitt Bf 163 and Siebel Si 201 competing against the Fieseler firm's entry. Conceived by chief designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director Erich Bachem, Fieseler's design had a far better short take off and landing ("STOL") performance.
A fixed slat ran along the entire length of the leading edge of the long wings, while a hinged and slotted set of control surfaces ran along the entire length of trailing edge. This was inspired by earlier 1930s Junkers Doppelflügel, "double-wing" aircraft wing control surface design concepts.
For the Fi 156, this setup along each wing panel's trailing edge was split nearly 50/50 between the inboard-located flaps and outboard-located ailerons, which, in turn, included trim tab devices over half of each aileron's trailing edge length.
A design feature rare for land-based aircraft enabled the wings on the Storch to be folded back along the fuselage in a manner similar to the wings of the U.S. Navy's Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter.
This allowed the aircraft to be carried on a trailer or even towed 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 contained oil-and-spring shock absorbers that had a travel of 40 cm (15-3/4 inches), allowing the aircraft to land on comparatively rough and uneven surfaces; this was combined with a "pre-travel" distance of 20 cm, before the oleos began damping the landing gear shock.
In flight, the main landing gear legs hung down, giving the aircraft the appearance of a long-legged, big-winged bird, hence its nickname, Storch. With its very low landing speed, the Storch often appeared to land vertically, or even backwards in strong winds from directly ahead.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Reconnaissance & communications
National origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: Fieseler & Morane-Saulnier
First flight: 24 May 1936
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: Germany: 1945, France: 1970
Primary users: Luftwaffe, French Army & Air Force
Produced: 1937–1949 (1965 for the MS 500)
Number built: Over 2,900
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (English: Stork) was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II. Production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. It remains famous for its excellent STOL performance; French-built later variants often appear at air shows.
In 1935, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Aviation Ministry) invited several aviation companies to submit design proposals that would compete for the production contract for a new Luftwaffe aircraft design suitable for liaison, army co-operation (today called forward air control), and medical evacuation.
This resulted in the Messerschmitt Bf 163 and Siebel Si 201 competing against the Fieseler firm's entry. Conceived by chief designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director Erich Bachem, Fieseler's design had a far better short take off and landing ("STOL") performance.
A fixed slat ran along the entire length of the leading edge of the long wings, while a hinged and slotted set of control surfaces ran along the entire length of trailing edge. This was inspired by earlier 1930s Junkers Doppelflügel, "double-wing" aircraft wing control surface design concepts.
For the Fi 156, this setup along each wing panel's trailing edge was split nearly 50/50 between the inboard-located flaps and outboard-located ailerons, which, in turn, included trim tab devices over half of each aileron's trailing edge length.
A design feature rare for land-based aircraft enabled the wings on the Storch to be folded back along the fuselage in a manner similar to the wings of the U.S. Navy's Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter.
This allowed the aircraft to be carried on a trailer or even towed 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 contained oil-and-spring shock absorbers that had a travel of 40 cm (15-3/4 inches), allowing the aircraft to land on comparatively rough and uneven surfaces; this was combined with a "pre-travel" distance of 20 cm, before the oleos began damping the landing gear shock.
In flight, the main landing gear legs hung down, giving the aircraft the appearance of a long-legged, big-winged bird, hence its nickname, Storch. With its very low landing speed, the Storch often appeared to land vertically, or even backwards in strong winds from directly ahead.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Reconnaissance & communications
National origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: Fieseler & Morane-Saulnier
First flight: 24 May 1936
Introduction to service: 1937
Retired: Germany: 1945, France: 1970
Primary users: Luftwaffe, French Army & Air Force
Produced: 1937–1949 (1965 for the MS 500)
Number built: Over 2,900
THE KIT:
Scale Craft Models was based in Northridge, CA and was the U.S. importer of Esci kits from Italy in the 60's.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Storch flying over the countryside. It has cross-hairs over it.
It is black-green (RLM 70) over light-blue undercarriage (RLM 65), with yellow wing tips under the wings, a yellow fuselage band, fuse code is black L2 + red B black 2 all repeated in black letters under each wing.
It is a Fi-156C-3 maintained for use by the Kuriestaffel Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Courier Squadron of the Luftwaffe High Command) on the Russian Front, Autumn 1942. Apparently this Storch was based with Lehrgeshwader 2 - a Hs-123 unit, as it carried their L2 code.
One side panel has 3 color box arts of other 1/48th scale kits that Scale Craft/Esci manufactured: kit no. 4003, a MRCA Tornado, kit no. 4004, a F-104 Starfighter and kit no. 4006, a F-1 Mirage.
Scale Craft Models was based in Northridge, CA and was the U.S. importer of Esci kits from Italy in the 60's.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Storch flying over the countryside. It has cross-hairs over it.
It is black-green (RLM 70) over light-blue undercarriage (RLM 65), with yellow wing tips under the wings, a yellow fuselage band, fuse code is black L2 + red B black 2 all repeated in black letters under each wing.
It is a Fi-156C-3 maintained for use by the Kuriestaffel Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Courier Squadron of the Luftwaffe High Command) on the Russian Front, Autumn 1942. Apparently this Storch was based with Lehrgeshwader 2 - a Hs-123 unit, as it carried their L2 code.
One side panel has 3 color box arts of other 1/48th scale kits that Scale Craft/Esci manufactured: kit no. 4003, a MRCA Tornado, kit no. 4004, a F-104 Starfighter and kit no. 4006, a F-1 Mirage.
This is followed by details included in the kit:
Decal markings for 4 different nations, detailed cockpit interior, separately molded wing flaps and leading-edge slats, optional rear-defense machine gun MG-15 and the box art description.
The other side panel has 3 more color box arts of other 1/48th scale kits: kit no. 4005, a A-10 Thunder, kit no. 4014, a A-7E Corsair II and kit no. 4016, a A-4M/N Skyhawk. This is followed by Scale Craft's address in Northridge, CA and Esci's address in Milan, Italy.
Decal markings for 4 different nations, detailed cockpit interior, separately molded wing flaps and leading-edge slats, optional rear-defense machine gun MG-15 and the box art description.
The other side panel has 3 more color box arts of other 1/48th scale kits: kit no. 4005, a A-10 Thunder, kit no. 4014, a A-7E Corsair II and kit no. 4016, a A-4M/N Skyhawk. This is followed by Scale Craft's address in Northridge, CA and Esci's address in Milan, Italy.
Kit is intended for modelers over the age of 10, cement and paint are not included.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 2 light-tan trees, a clear tree and decal sheet all in a clear sealed cello bag. The instructions complete the kits contents.
Parts are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on them.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a grainy black and white wartime photo of an actual Storch, sitting on a grassy field with 2 crewmen around it. It's fuselage is a light shade (color unknown), the fuselage code is D-E + MAW. The swastika on the tail is in a white circle and on a red horizontal band.
Below this is the history of the Storch in Spanish and English.
Page 2 continues the history in 3 more languages, including English, with another small grainy wartime photo of a crewman looking into the cockpit door of a dark colored Storch.
Page 3 through 6 give a total of 7 assembly steps.
Page 7 has a 3-view of the box art subject. A 3-view of a Swedish Storch in field green (FS 34097) over light-gray-blue undercarriage (FS 35630). It has a white fuselage number 11 and white 825 on the sides of the rudder.
It was with Swedish Flygrapnet. One of approximately 10 Storch's (Swedish name S14 "Storker") acquired toward the end of WWII via escape from Germany. Initially allotted to Spaningrupp (Recon. Group-Flotill 3 at Maimslatt. As many as 16 were still in service in 1960.
The first light-tan tree holds: fuselage halves, propeller, cowling, seat, tail skid, struts, machine gun, dashboard, floor etc. (40 parts)
This kit contains 2 light-tan trees, a clear tree and decal sheet all in a clear sealed cello bag. The instructions complete the kits contents.
Parts are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on them.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a grainy black and white wartime photo of an actual Storch, sitting on a grassy field with 2 crewmen around it. It's fuselage is a light shade (color unknown), the fuselage code is D-E + MAW. The swastika on the tail is in a white circle and on a red horizontal band.
Below this is the history of the Storch in Spanish and English.
Page 2 continues the history in 3 more languages, including English, with another small grainy wartime photo of a crewman looking into the cockpit door of a dark colored Storch.
Page 3 through 6 give a total of 7 assembly steps.
Page 7 has a 3-view of the box art subject. A 3-view of a Swedish Storch in field green (FS 34097) over light-gray-blue undercarriage (FS 35630). It has a white fuselage number 11 and white 825 on the sides of the rudder.
It was with Swedish Flygrapnet. One of approximately 10 Storch's (Swedish name S14 "Storker") acquired toward the end of WWII via escape from Germany. Initially allotted to Spaningrupp (Recon. Group-Flotill 3 at Maimslatt. As many as 16 were still in service in 1960.
The first light-tan tree holds: fuselage halves, propeller, cowling, seat, tail skid, struts, machine gun, dashboard, floor etc. (40 parts)
The second light-tan tree holds: wing flaps, leading edge slats, rudder flap, more struts etc. (33 parts)
The clear tree holds 5 cockpit windows and a teardrop shaped part.
The decal sheet completes the kit.
There is no pilot figure included and no swastikas on the decal sheet.
Nice raised rib pattern. Highly recommended.