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After capturing this Fi 156 in Libya in 1943, Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst brought it to England in 1944 in preparation for the Normandy invasion when he took command of No. 83 Group of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. He even flew Prime Minister Winston Churchill across the English Channel into Normandy in this aircraft.
Designed to meet a German military requirement for a liason and medical evacuation aircraft, the Fi 156 Storch, or "Stork" in English, was first flown in early 1937. The Storch's design is famous for its outstanding STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) performance. A variety of lift-enhancing and aerodynamic control features coupled with long-travel landing gear enable the aircraft to take-off and land at very low airspeeds and in extremely short distances. The aircraft saw use throughout Europe and North Africa during WWII where its ability to operate from the smallest and most rugged locations proved invaluable to the German military.
