Fly Past

74 FLYPAST November 2018

SPOT FACT An early demonstration of Storch capabilities

included ‘hovering’ in a light headwind

Meteor F. 8 VZ461/W of 43 Squadron, which formed part of the Leuchars Wing

through the 1950s. The unit displayed the type with panache. A/CDRE J W FROST

Resurrecting a hero

Storch A-97 was built as serial

number 8063 in 1943 by Fieseler

in Kassel, Germany, and first served

with the Luftwaffe as CN+EL.

On March 19, 1943, it was one of

two German aircraft confiscated by

authorities after landing in neutral

Switzerland. Three Luftwaffe pilots

had been attempting ferry flights

from Munich to Bari in Italy via

Austria over the Alps. The first of the

three Fieselers was being flown faster

than the others, leaving two trailing

in its wake. Those piloting the latter

pair had no previous experience of

flying over the Alps. They became

confused by the terrain and lost their

way. Short of fuel, they were obliged

to land at Samedan in Switzerland.

The pilots were arrested, and the

Swiss government later bought the

two confiscated Fieselers, CN+EL

(later A-97) and TI+VR (later A-98),

from Germany in 1944.

The former went on to complete

its mission to the Gauli Glacier in

1946 and served the Swiss Air Force

until December 31, 1962. After

retirement from flying duties, it was

acquired by the museum at Lucerne

in 1965. The aircraft remained on

display to the public, suspended

from the ceiling for the next 50

years, while technically under the

ownership of the Swiss government.

In 2015, both museum and

government pledged their support

to the Friends of the Fieseler Storch

Society. At the end of that year, the

aircraft was carefully disassembled in

Lucerne and delivered to Aero-Kros,

a restoration company in Krosno,

Poland. The machine’s original

Argus As 10 V8 engine was sent to

Argus specialist Dirk Bende,

based near Bonn, Germany, for a

complete overhaul.

After meticulous work by both

companies, the Storch made its first

post-restoration flight on November

5, 2016 from Krosno. It temporarily

joined the Polish civil register as

SP-YRX for the test flight period. It

To p

A dramatic view of

Fieseler Storch A-99

fl ying over a glacier

in Switzerland.

Above

Storch A-97

(foreground)

at Meiringen,

Switzerland. This

aircraft took part

in the 1946 Gauli

rescue mission.

Above right

Inside A-97’s

cockpit on a fl ight

to Meiringen.