Editing Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (section)

===Background and selection===
During 1935, the [[Reichsluftfahrtministerium]] (''Reich Aviation Ministry'' or RLM) issued in [[Request for proposal|invitation]] to several aviation companies to submit their proposals for a new aircraft for the ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' that was to be suitable for the roles of [[liaison aircraft|liaison]], army co-operation (today called [[forward air control]]), and [[medical evacuation]].<ref name = "smithkay 142"/> The German aircraft manufacturer [[Fieseler]] quickly took an interest in the new requirement and opted to produce its own clean sheet design, which was largely conceived of by chief designer Reinhold Mewes and technical director [[Erich Bachem]]. This new aircraft, which was subsequently assigned the ''Fi 156'' designation, was specifically designed to achieve particularly strong short take off and landing ("[[STOL]]") performance.<ref name = "smithkay 142"/>

In addition to Fieseler's submission, competing proposals were submitted from various other aircraft manufacturers, including [[Weser Flugzeugbau]] and [[Siebel]] in the form of the [[Bf 163]] and [[Siebel Si 201|Si 201]] respectively.<ref name = "smithkay 142">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 142.</ref> While the Bf 163 broadly resembled the Fi 156, the Si 201 was a relatively unorthodox aircraft; all three designs were evaluated in depth by officials. The Fi 156 emerged as the favoured submission, in part due to its relatively cheap and straightforward construction offered in its design.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/>

On 24 May 1936, the Fi 156 V1, registered ''D-IKVN'', performed its [[maiden flight]]; it was quickly followed by a further four prototypes.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/> From an early stage, the company had envisioned two different production versions, the ''Fi 156A'' and ''Fi 156B'', the latter having movable [[leading edge]] slots instead of the formers' fixed slot arrangement. The first production standard aircraft were delivered in early 1937.<ref name = "smithkay 143"/>