German aircraft, built by Fieseler under the
Fl 156 Storch (Stork). A remarkable short take-off and landing aircraft, it made its first flight at the beginning of 1936, immediately achieving astonishing performances: take-off over 60 metres, thanks to a very elaborate hypersuspension device. Its particularly robust undercarriage enabled it to manoeuvre on very difficult ground, and its generously glazed cockpit gave its crew an exceptional field of vision.
crew an exceptional field of vision. More than 2,500 of these were built in Germany, then France and Czechoslovakia, and served in the Luftwaffe throughout the 2nd World War, from Africa to Russia. Its many versions enabled it to carry out a wide range of missions, including liaison, reconnaissance, aerial photography, recovery of crews shot down in enemy territory and medical evacuation.

In September 1943, it successfully evacuated Mussolini, who was being held prisoner in the Abbruzes, from a platform from which no other aircraft could have taken off.
could have taken off from. After the war, it was built under French licence by Morane Saulnier as the Criquet MS 500, 502 and 505. It was then used by the G.A.O.A. (Groupe d’aviation d’observation d’artillerie),
particularly in Indochina.
Initially powered by an Argus AS 10C3 inverted-V engine, then AS 10 P from 1941, the French version received a star engine in 1945.
French version, a Salmson AB star engine (MS 502). Some aircraft, transferred to the S.F.A., were fitted with
Jacobs star engine (MS 505).