The STOL King was based on the 3/4 Storch kit being offered by a fellow in Australia which I believe had its origins in Europe somewhere (aside from the original Fi 156 Storch). Essentially, I think it is the same aircraft but streamlined quite a bit. I had heard (web searches) that he had partnered with them but for some reason they went their own ways and thus this aircraft came out of it.

Although this gear isn't the original 'Storch' gear I believe it is that long because the slats on the wings produce the best climb vs distance when at a high angle of attack.

If this aircraft can get close to its claimed performance, even if not right on it, I would be happy and wouldn't have too much heartburn over the specs being fluffed a bit to keep up with all of the other fluffers but if they are far from unrealistic I would sure like to know before I invest more time and money into this.

If I could just find one person who is flying one who would be willing to share their experiences and opinions about its performance (and there are completed STOL Kings out there) I could clear this up in a hurry. I have a couple of leads through web seaches but not easy to find contact information.

Here is another kit version of the 3/4 scale Storch called the Criquet with performance figures similar to the STOL King but much heavier (Modified, modified 'Storch'): http://tinyurl.com/qupra

The statement that a "VW engine can produce 100 HP" is misleading because this engine is different. They manufacture new jugs with more coolant flow and use a special high volume pump to keep them cool. Here is a link to their web page http://tinyurl.com/pbwb7

Chris in Palmer, Alaska