Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 2011 Slepcev Storch
Your own warbird can be had for $59,000.
It’s safe to say that, at one time or another, every single general aviation pilot has dreamed of owning and flying their own warbird. From fire-breathing P-51 Mustangs to T-6 Texans and more obscure types, the entire category attracts pilots of all types. Unfortunately, the rarity and complexity of most place them well out of reach of most of us, which is why a company called Slepcev chose to pair a scaled-down WWII-era design with a modern, affordable engine in the form of the Slepcev Storch, one of which is now available for $59,000 on Aircraft For Sale.
The original Fieseler Fi-156 Storch was a unique German reconnaissance plane built between 1937 and 1949, with later versions remaining in production through 1965. Designed to access areas without prepared runways for the purposes of medevac, communication, and liaison roles, it incorporated a massive wing optimized for slow flight, long-travel main gear to soak up unprepared surfaces, and a 240-horsepower inverted V-8 engine.
Recognizing that such a design would be massively fun to fly - but also massively expensive to own, maintain, and operate, a man named Nestor Slepcev formed his own aircraft company and in the mid-1990s, began producing a 3/4-scale Storch replica. He offered both as a kit and also as a ready-to-fly aircraft. Today, the type remains in production, reportedly with approximately 150 examples flying worldwide.
Built in 2011, this example is painted in the colors of German aircraft that operated in North Africa. With 326 hours on both the airframe and 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine, it’s relatively low time and looks the part. The seller reports that it has always been hangared with no damage and has been well maintained and flown regularly.
The panel is small but functional. Basic analog gauges and engine instruments present key information to the pilot, and a compact Microair COM radio takes up far less space than a standard radio. A uAvionix ADS-B transmitter provides ADS-B out duties and is paired with a Garmin GTX327 transponder.
With an empty weight of only 761 pounds and a gross weight of 1213 pounds, the useful load is roughly that of a typical Cessna 140. That’s where the similarities stop, however, as similarly-equipped Slepcev Storches reportedly take off and land in only 50-100 feet.
Whether your mission is to access remote off-airport destinations, keep your airplane at home despite not having a formal runway, or simply enjoy flying in a miniature, modernized piece of WWII history, this Storch will surely make your flying interesting.
You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance and quickly calculate your monthly payment using the airplane finance calculator. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.
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