VEB Baade 152 Aircraft Manuals Collection

This is a curated archival collection of technical manuals, specification documents, and manufacturer brochures covering the VEB Baade 152 — East Germany's first and only indigenous jet-powered airliner, developed by VEB Flugzeugwerke Dresden in the late 1950s. The collection spans both the 152/I and 152/II standards, providing researchers, aviation historians, and enthusiasts with a rare window into one of the Cold War era's most ambitious — and ultimately tragic — aviation programmes.

Definitive Collection with Free Lifetime Updates: This is a living collection that we continuously expand and refine. As we acquire additional VEB Baade 152 documentation, technical bulletins, or variant-specific materials, we update this collection and provide free lifetime updates to all purchasers. Your one-time purchase guarantees access to all future additions and improvements to this collection.

Historical Note

The Baade 152 emerged from the post-war reorganisation of German aviation expertise under Soviet oversight. Its lineage traces directly to the Junkers OKB-1 150 bomber project, developed by German engineers working in the USSR after 1945. When those engineers returned to East Germany in the early 1950s, they brought with them swept-wing jet design experience that would form the foundation of the 152 programme.

Led by Brunolf Baade — a former Junkers engineer — the project aimed to produce a modern short-to-medium range jet airliner capable of serving Interflug, the East German state airline. The aircraft featured high-mounted swept wings using aerodynamic profiles TsAGI S-10s-9 at the root and SR-3-12 at the tip, and was powered by four Pirna 014 A-0 turbojets.

The first prototype, the 152/I-V1, flew on 4 December 1958 — a historic milestone for East German aviation. However, the maiden flight revealed serious handling deficiencies, including severe right-hand drift attributed to non-uniform thrust from the engines, requiring significant corrective input from test pilot Willi Lehmann. The 152/I used a tandem centreline (bicycle) undercarriage with wingtip outriggers — a configuration deemed unsuitable for commercial operations and subsequently redesigned for the 152/II, which adopted a conventional tricycle undercarriage with main legs retracting into the engine nacelles.

On 4 March 1959, prototype DM-ZYA crashed fatally during a test flight. Investigations — not made public until 1990 — revealed that the Pirna 014 engines experienced fuel starvation when the aircraft was flown at a nose-down angle of 16 degrees or greater, a critical design flaw compounded by probable pilot error. The crash effectively ended the programme's momentum. Further development continued briefly with the 152/II standard, but the project was cancelled in 1961 under Soviet pressure to purchase Tupolev Tu-104 airliners instead.

The sole surviving airframe — Baade 152/II-011 — was rescued from a barn and is now preserved at the Verkehrsmuseum Dresden / Dresden Airport. Much of the original engineering documentation was lost or destroyed following cancellation, making the surviving manuals and brochures in this collection particularly significant.

Manuals Included in This Collection

Variant I — 4 Documents

• Baade 152 I Aircraft Handbook
  • VEB Baade 152 I Aircraft Specification Manual Volume 1 — Kurz_Bedienanlietung-1958-V1 (German Language)
  • VEB Baade 152 I Aircraft Specification Manual Volume 2 — Kurz_Bedienanlietung-1958-V2 (German Language)
  • VEB Baade 152 I Aircraft Specification Manual Volume 3 — Kurz_Bedienanlietung-1958-V3 (German Language)
• Baade 152 I Slides, Photos and Brochures
  • VEB Baade 152 I Aircraft Brochure 1956 — 152-1956-brochure (German Language)

Variant II — 2 Documents

• Baade 152 II Aircraft Handbook
  • VEB Baade 152 II Aircraft Specification Manual 1960 — Kurz_Bedienanlietung-1960 (German Language)
• Baade 152 II Slides, Photos and Brochures
  • VEB Baade 152 II Aircraft Brochure 1958 — 152-1958-brochure (German Language)

This collection covers both the 152/I and 152/II standards, spanning documentation from 1956 through 1960 — the full active development arc of the programme. The Kurz-Bedienungsanleitung (abbreviated operating instructions) volumes provide the most detailed surviving technical record of the aircraft's systems and operational procedures.

Engineering Norms and Standards

The Baade 152 was designed to East German and Soviet-influenced engineering norms of the late 1950s, drawing on both German Junkers-era practices and TsAGI aerodynamic research.

Pirna 014 Turbojet — Technical Data

The aircraft was powered by four Pirna 014 turbojets, developed by the former Junkers-OKB engineering team — the only jet engine designed and produced in East Germany:

• Type: Single-shaft axial-flow turbojet
• Compressor: 12-stage axial
• Turbine: 2-stage
• Thrust: 3,150 kp (6,900 lbf / 30.9 kN) at 8,000 rpm
• Pressure ratio: 7:1
• Critical flaw: Fuel supply interrupted during steep nose-down descent angles (≥16°), a factor in the fatal 1959 crash of prototype DM-ZYA
• Installation: Mounted in pairs on 152/I; redesigned individual pods on 152/II

Aerodynamics and Handling

• Wing: High-mounted swept wing; TsAGI S-10s-9 profile at root, SR-3-12 at tip
• Stability issues: Nosewheel shimmy and tail surface vibration recorded during flight tests
• Handling: Right-hand drift tendency on maiden flight due to non-uniform engine thrust
• Undercarriage evolution: 152/I — bicycle centreline gear with wingtip outriggers (unsuitable for commercial ops); 152/II — conventional tricycle, main legs retracting into engine nacelles

Performance Data (152/II V4)

Format and Delivery

All documents are delivered as high-resolution PDF files, optimised for both screen reading and printing. Files are organised by variant and document type. Instant download upon purchase. Compatible with all standard PDF readers on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Disclaimer

All documents in this collection are provided for historical research and archival reference only. The VEB Baade 152 programme was cancelled in 1961 and no airworthy examples exist. These materials are not intended for operational use. Trade names, designations, and document numbers are used for identification purposes only. Copyright © Sicuro Publishing.