Baade 152
VEB Flugzeugwerk Dresden · East Germany · first flew 1958 · airliner
The Baade 152 (officially the 152/I) was East Germany's only indigenous jet airliner, a swept-wing four-engine aircraft developed in Dresden under engineer Brunolf Baade. It was the first German jet airliner to fly after World War II.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbojet, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 31.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- East Germany's only jet airliner
- Four turbojets in paired under-wing nacelles
- Swept wing with Western airliner appearance
Resembles a scaled-down de Havilland Comet or early Boeing 707 with four turbojets in paired under-wing pods; the short wingspan relative to fuselage length is characteristic.
Specifications
- The Baade 152 has a length of 31.4 m (103 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 26.3 m (86 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 920 km/h (572 mph).
- Typical crew: 5.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Development began in the mid-1950s with substantial Soviet technical assistance, and the prototype first flew in December 1958. The second prototype crashed in 1959, killing the crew, which severely delayed the programme. The East German government cancelled the project in 1961 before it could enter service, as Soviet pressure pushed the GDR toward operating Soviet-built aircraft instead.
Variants
Two prototypes and one pre-production aircraft were constructed; no production series was completed.
Where you'll see it
The Baade 152 never entered passenger service; Interflug, the East German airline, went on to operate Soviet types instead.
Related aircraft
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