Hobby Boss 1/35 Fi 156D-1 Storch Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

In the mid-1930s, the RLM invited several aircraft companies to submit their designs for a new liaison aircraft that could also perform forward air control (FAC) and medical evacuation duties. Fieseler submitted the Fi 156 Storch (stork) which could also perform short take-offs and landings (STOL). The Storch could achieve such impressive STOL performance using long wings with a fixed slat mounted to the leading edge. The Fi 156C-2 and later variants were equipped with a raised, fully glazed position for a rearward firing MG 15 machine gun for self defense. While there were production variants of the Fi 156, the Fi 156C was the most-produced model at over 2,600 examples, though the airborne ambulance version (D-1) had only 117 examples produced

Here's a new-tool kit from HobbyBoss that nicely renders the 1/35 Fieseler Fi-156D-1 Storch out of the box. The entire build is done in nine steps! The model is molded in desert tan styrene and presented on nine parts trees plus one tree of clear parts. Among the features and options in this kit:

• Nicely detailed cockpit
• Stretcher in rear seat location
• Paint masks for cockpit transparencies
• Detailed engine
• Choice of engine access cover installed or removed
• Positionable elevators
• Positionable rudder
• Choice of tail wheel or skid
• Positionable fuselage side doors for stretcher access

Decal options for four aircraft are included:

• Fi-156D-1, QJ+RW, Germany
• Fi 156D-1, unknown, Germany
• Fi 156D-1, DJ+RW, Germany
• Fi 156D-1, KR+QZ, Germany

This is a relatively simple kit that would make a nice vignette or diorama with another 1/35 scale vehicle and/or figure(s). Even by itself, this kit will build into the nicest Storch in this scale or in the adjacent 1/32 scale.

If you want an interesting weekend project, this is the model you're looking for...

My sincere thanks to Model Rectifier Corporation for this review sample!