The Baade 152 also known as Dresden 152, VL-DDR 152 or simply 152, was a
post-war
A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...
airliner designed and manufactured by
East German
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
aircraft company
VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (literally: Elbe aircraft factory, commonly abbreviated as ''EFW'') is an aerospace manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany.
It was established during 1955 as ''VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden'' (VEB). Early projects included th ...
. The aircraft was named after German
aeronautical engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...
Brunolf Baade
Brunolf Baade (15 March 1904 – 5 November 1969) was a German aeronautical engineer. He led the team that developed the Baade 152.
Life
Early years
Brunolf Baade was born in and grew up on the southern edge of Rixdorf (today Neukölln), a dens ...
, the principal designer involved in the programme. It was the first
jet airliner
A jet airliner or jetliner is an airliner powered by jet engines (passenger jet aircraft). Airliners usually have twinjet, two or quadjet, four jet engines; trijet, three-engined designs were popular in the 1970s but are less common today. Air ...
to be developed in Germany.
The Baade 152 represents the final development in the
Junkers
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...
aircraft family which ended with the "development planes" (''Entwicklungsflugzeug'' – EF). Its development drew upon the
OKB-1 150
The OKB-1 150 was a jet bomber designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1948.
Development
At the end of World War II, many German engineers were 'seconded' by the Soviet government to continue their advanced research under direct supervi ...
, an aborted
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes
air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles.
There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
that was developed in the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
with assistance from captured German scientists. The Baade 152's basic configuration shares many similarities, including shape, size, wing-area, landing gear configuration, empty weight, range, altitude, speed, power per engine, and double-engine cowling arrangement similar to the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
-built
Boeing B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
, a bomber/
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or Strategy, strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including Artillery observer, artillery spott ...
aircraft which entered service with the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
during 1951. Work on the Baade 152 formally commenced during 1955.
On 4 December 1958, the
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
of the first prototype ''V1/I'' (''DM-ZYA'') took place. A total of three Baade 152s would be manufactured, two of which would participate in a test flight programme based out of
Dresden Airport
Dresden Airport is an international airport of Dresden, the state capital of Saxony, Germany. It is located in Klotzsche, a district of Dresden north of the city centre. It was formerly also known in German as ''Flughafen Dresden-Klotzsche''. D ...
between 1956 and 1961. On 4 March 1959, the first prototype was lost in an accident, killing all crew on board; the cause is unclear. Testing continued using the second prototype. At one stage, there were reports that around 20 aircraft were in various stages of production on behalf of the East German state airline
Deutsche Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks second in Europe by ...
. However, all flight tests of the Baade 152 were abandoned after a fuel supply problem was uncovered. The type failed to enter service, and production was terminated without any follow-on being produced.
Design and development
Background
Following the
end of the Second World War in Europe, Germany was divided into
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
and
East Germany
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. In the East, the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
became politically dominant over the region; Soviet officials sought to obtain all possible
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...
-related material in East Germany, the engineers and scientists associated with such projects were
deport
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or is under sen ...
ed to the Soviet Union.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 109.] During October 1946, it was announced that all East German aerospace-related projects would be transferred to the Soviet Union, while material that could not be transferred was deliberately destroyed. Following the formation of
German Democratic Republic
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
during 1949, many of the deported German scientists were allowed to return to East Germany and to practice their professions once more.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 109-110.]
During 1952, new aeronautical facilities were established in East Germany; initially, these were operated with a focus upon military aircraft, however, following
a popular uprising in the following year, military ambitions were renounced in favour of civil aircraft.
The revival of the East German aerospace industry had occurred at a faster rate than that of neighbouring West Germany.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 357-358.] Development of what would become known as the ''Baade 152'' can be traced back as early as 1953 to a team of German
aeronautical engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...
s headed by
Brunolf Baade
Brunolf Baade (15 March 1904 – 5 November 1969) was a German aeronautical engineer. He led the team that developed the Baade 152.
Life
Early years
Brunolf Baade was born in and grew up on the southern edge of Rixdorf (today Neukölln), a dens ...
, for whom the type is named after, working in
Zavyalovo Zavyalovo () is the name of several rural localities in Russia:
* Zavyalovo, Altai Krai, a '' selo'' in Zavyalovsky Selsoviet of Zavyalovsky District of Altai Krai
* Zavyalovo, Iskitimsky District, Novosibirsk Oblast, a ''selo'' in Iskitimsky Dist ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. However, when members of the team were allowed to return to East Germany, all documentation relating to the 152 had to be left behind; the Soviets retained this cache and eventually released it to East Germany after a protracted period.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 358.]
Based in East Germany, a new aerospace company,
VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (literally: Elbe aircraft factory, commonly abbreviated as ''EFW'') is an aerospace manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany.
It was established during 1955 as ''VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden'' (VEB). Early projects included th ...
, was able to recruit Baade and several other returning engineers, and decided to commit itself to completing development of the envisaged 152.
VEB planned to develop the 152 as a four-engined commercial transport aircraft; an assembly line capable of producing up to 18 aircraft per year was to be established in Dresden to manufacture the type. As intended, the 152 would have been developed initially as a 57-seater airliner, plans were made to accommodate alternative seating layouts, such as a high-capacity 72-passenger configuration or a more spacious 42-passenger arrangement.
During 1955, VEB formally commenced work on the 152, having to effectively redesign the aircraft in the process.
During the previous year, work had also commenced at
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
-based
Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde
Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde is an automotive factory in Ludwigsfelde in Brandenburg, just south of Berlin in Germany. The factory is part of Daimler AG and since 1991 it has made Mercedes-Benz vans. It is also the producer of the Multicar line of v ...
(IWL) on the development of the
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
engine; it was this powerplant that would be selected for the 152.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 360.] According to Baade, work was hindered by a lack of optimal facilities present in East Germany. According to aviation periodical
Flight International
''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...
, East Germany was keen to involve Western industry in the project as well, particularly in the provision of components and materials; it was also hoped the sales of the 152 could be garnered from the west as well.
Reportedly, East German officials regarded the 152 as filling a relatively unique niche upon the global airliner market, and that its nearest competitor was the
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
-built
Sud Aviation Caravelle
The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation.
It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s, and made its maiden flight on May 27, 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for t ...
.
Testing and termination

A total of three airworthy prototypes were constructed; two of them being flown on three flights. The design of the first prototype was largely derived from the
OKB-1 150
The OKB-1 150 was a jet bomber designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1948.
Development
At the end of World War II, many German engineers were 'seconded' by the Soviet government to continue their advanced research under direct supervi ...
, an early jet bomber designed by former
Junkers
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...
engineers in the Soviet Union. It included a tandem landing gear and glazed nose for the navigator, which was a common feature in many Eastern Bloc aircraft. The 152's landing gear was unusual for a passenger plane in that the main gear was housed along the centerline of the fuselage with outrigger wheels in the wing-tips, similar to the better-known
Boeing B-47
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
.
The tail of the airplane was tested on a
VEB 14.
On 4 December 1958, the
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
of the first prototype ''V1/I'' (''DM-ZYA'') took place, which lasted for 35 minutes.
During its second flight, the aircraft was lost in a crash at
Ottendorf-Okrilla
Ottendorf-Okrilla is a municipality in the Bautzen district, Saxony, Germany. It is located 20 km northeast of Dresden.
Geography
The area of the municipality is 25.88 km², of which 1.58 km² are commercially used. The length from ...
on 4 March 1959, killing the entire crew. It is believed that the pilots, having lacked experience with operating
jet-propelled aircraft, may have been unfamiliar with the slow response time of such engines, contributing to a
stall and subsequent crash.
The reasons for the crash were never fully investigated and the results of the limited investigation were only made public in 1990. The loss has been attributed as having been a major setback to the programme and later having played a factor in its termination.
Following the accident, test flights continued using the second prototype ''V4/II'' (''DM-ZYB''), although this aircraft did not fly until 1960.
It would be the first to be powered by the indigenously-developed
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
engine.
Other changes made on the second prototype included a different landing gear configuration, involving an unusual configuration of the main landing gear that shared the same pylon as the engines,
as well as the glazed nose for the navigator being dispensed with. The third prototype, ''V5/II'' (''DM-ZYC''), would never be flown, being solely used for ground-based testing.
The flight test programme was abruptly terminated after conducting only three flights; reportedly, a serious malfunction involving the fuel tanks, which interrupted sufficient fuel supply during a steep descent, had been discovered. The question of whether this design flaw had contributed to the crash of the first prototype remains unanswered. There were still about 20 aircraft in production for the East German state airline
Deutsche Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks second in Europe by ...
until mid-1961. On 28 February 1961, the East German government issued an order for the dissolution of its national aeronautical industry; this decision was reportedly heavily influenced by the Soviet Union, which was then promoting its own similar-sized airliner, the
Tupolev Tu-124
The Tupolev Tu-124 (NATO reporting name: Cookpot) is a 56-passenger short-range twin-jet airliner built in the Soviet Union. It was the Soviet Union's first operational airliner powered by turbofan engines.
Design and development
Developed fro ...
; despite earlier promises, it no longer wanted to purchase any Baade 152s or provide further support towards its development. Similar curtailing of autonomous aviation-related programmes was carried out throughout the
Eastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
during this period.
[Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 109, 359-360.]
All examples of the aircraft were scrapped. However, during 1995, a restoration effort involving the abandoned 152/II #011 fuselage was initiated at
EADS EFW
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (literally: Elbe aircraft factory, commonly abbreviated as ''EFW'') is an aerospace manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany.
It was established during 1955 as ''VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden'' (VEB). Early projects included th ...
(Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH) in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
, which is the direct successor company of VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden. Furthermore, one consequence of the project's cancellation was that engine manufacturer
Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde
Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde is an automotive factory in Ludwigsfelde in Brandenburg, just south of Berlin in Germany. The factory is part of Daimler AG and since 1991 it has made Mercedes-Benz vans. It is also the producer of the Multicar line of v ...
(IWL) was left with 30 completed
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
powerplants without any customer for them.
[Kirchberg 2000, p. 439.] These surplus engines were subsequently used to power a number of
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
s operated by the ''
Volksmarine
The (VM, ; ) was the Navy, naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a Coastal defence and fortification, coastal defence ...
''.
Chronology

*12 October 1956 – First test run of jet engine
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
.
*March 1958 – First presentation of airplane 152 and jet engine
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
at the Leipzig Spring Fair.
*30 April 1958 – Roll out of first 152/I V1 prototype plane without engines.
*4 December 1958 – First flight of prototype 152/I V1 for 35 minutes with jet engines
Tumansky RD-9
The Tumansky RD-9 (initially designated Mikulin AM-5) was an early Soviet turbojet engine, not based on pre-existing German or British designs. The AM-5, developed by scaling down the AM-3, was available in 1952 and completed testing in 1953; i ...
.
*4 March 1959 – Second flight of prototype 152/I V1 for 55 minutes. Plane crashed after rapid descent killing the crew of four.
*9 September 1959 – Testing of
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
jet engines on test plane
Ilyushin Il-28R.
*30 July 1960 – Start of ground testing for 152/II V4 plane.
*26 August 1960 – First flight of prototype 152/II V4 for 22 minutes with Pirna 014.
*4 September 1960 – Second flight of prototype 152/II V4 for 20 minutes.
*7 September 1960 – Roll out of the third prototype 152/II V5.
*7 September 1960 – Serious fuel system malfunctions during ground tests resulting in grounding both the 152/IIs.
*December 1960 – End of ground testing of prototype 152/II V4.
*March 1961 – End of
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
jet engine production.
*20 June 1961 – Last flight of
Pirna 014
The Pirna 014 was an axial turbojet designed in East Germany (or the GDR) in the mid- to late 1950s by former Junkers engineers, who were repatriated to East Germany in 1954 after being held in custody in the Soviet Union following World War I ...
jet engine on test plane IL-28R.
*Mid-1961 – Scrapping of all produced 152 planes.
Specifications (152/II V4)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
* Hirschel, Ernst Heinrich., Horst Prem and Gero Madelung. ''Aeronautical Research in Germany: From Lilienthal until Today.'' Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
*
External links
152 Homepage (most of it in German only)
*
Brunolf Baade
Brunolf Baade (15 March 1904 – 5 November 1969) was a German aeronautical engineer. He led the team that developed the Baade 152.
Life
Early years
Brunolf Baade was born in and grew up on the southern edge of Rixdorf (today Neukölln), a dens ...
at Wikipedia Germany
*
Alexejew / Samoljot 150 at Wikipedia Germany
* East German promotion movi
part onepart twoYouTube video of the VEB Baade 152
{{Authority control
1950s German airliners
Abandoned civil aircraft projects
152
Year 152 ( CLII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Glabrio and Homullus (or, less frequently, year 905 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 152 for th ...
Quadjets
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1958
Aircraft with retractable bicycle landing gear