The Storch, or "stork", was so named for its shock-absorbing landing gear, which hung down an additional 18 inches in flight. It may have looked goofy, but it could land anywhere, and earned fame for the rescue of the deposed dictator Benito Mussolini, whose legendary people skills had led to his becoming surrounded by his own troops on a boulder-strewn mountaintop. Many postwar homebuilt aircraft designs have imitated the Storch in order to duplicate its short take-off and landing abilities.

Cool stuff for Storch lovers: