Fly Past

(Rick Simeone) #1

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.
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