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Take a look at the Silver Streak
section on my website. I have a copy of an ad there for a 1949 Silver
Streak which says "formerly Curtiss Wright Industries". It shows a trailer
which is identical to one shown in another Curtiss Wright ad. This would
indicate that Silver Streak took over from Curtiss Wright in 1949. My
understanding is that Streamline commenced with employees who broke away from
Silver Streak.
The Fredericksburg 2000 program
indicated that Curtiss Wright was producing identical trailers under its own
name, and others labled Airstreams for Wally Byam until Wally broke off on his
own, in 1948, I think. Following is a quote from the program.
"During World War II, Wally Byam the
founder of Airstream was forced to close up shop and take a
job with Curtiss-Wright. As the war wound down, he went to top management
and convinced them that he and they together should build trailers after the
war. Thus as the war closed in 1945, Engineers were assigned to designing
this trailer under the guidance of Wally. The first examples were sold as
Curtiss-Wrights in 1946. Within months Wally tired of the arrangement and
negotiated a new contract under which Curtiss-Wright could sell the trailer, but
Wally could too, only he called his an Airstream. They were
identical. C-W never found it very profitable and in June of 1949 sold
their interests to partners which called their trailer the Silver
Streak."
Hope all of this helps. Do take a look at
the Silver Streak sections though, as I think you will find some of the pictures
and brochures of interest.
-Tom |