The Storch was designed in 1935 and flew for the first time May 24, 1936. Among its key features was its maneuverability, extremely low 32 mph stalling speed, and its short-field takeoff and landing characteristics. It has full-length fixed-wing slats, Fowler-type flaps that increase the wing area by 18% and ailerons that droop with the flaps when they are extended past 20°.
The Storch’s long, spindly legs give it the ability to land in awkward places because they are able to absorb the shock of a hard landing. The wide stance gives stability in rough conditions.
In late 1937, the Storch was accepted by the Luftwaffe. Throughout World War II the aircraft was widely used by German military forces for reconnaissance, liaison, ambulance, insertion, extraction of agents, and other duties. Many high-ranking officers had a Storch assigned for personal transport.
My first Storch went to the Scale Masters for
two successive years. I really liked it, but it had some shortcomings that left
me wanting to do better. First, even spanning 94 inches the model was only
1/6 scale; that was small for competition. All my other
aircraft have been 1/4 scale, which is much easier to
detail.
The second problem applies to almost all model designs of high-wing aircraft. Typical model-construction methods leave fuselage bulkheads extending into the cockpit area, making an accurate cockpit interior nearly impossible. This is further complicated when the designer extends the wing spar structure across the top of the cockpit.
When a subject, such as the Storch, has a full greenhouse cockpit, the cockpit interior is an important part of the presentation. And there is only so much you can do to approximate a scale appearance using conventional model construction methods and materials.
Ed Newman is a friend and fellow Scale competitor who has been modeling the Storch for many years. He has developed his own design, produced plans, and commissioned fabrication of critical structural components, which allows a modeler to build an exceptional subject.
Knowing about my interest in the Storch, Ed asked if I would like to build one of his designs and share my evaluation of his efforts with you fellow modelers. I accepted the offer, but this will not be your typical kit-review article.
For one thing, I have never built an airplane per the plans. I can’t even put an ARF together without making a few modifications. Also, roughly 75% of this airplane is of typical model construction. I don’t see any point in telling you how to frame a wing. I just want to show you the 25% that makes this worthy of a story.
In addition, since this is the second Storch I have built, I applied lessons learned from the first one to it.
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