[VAC] Re: Falcon description for 1959

[RJ Dial <rj.dial@xxxxxxx>]

         Reply to:   RE: [VAC] Falcon description for 1959
This Falcon stuff is great! If you asked last year at this time, you 
would have gotten a completely different answer, that is how much the 
Internet is bringing information and knowledge together at light speed. 
 The Airstream information Archives that is being put together for the 
VAC website by myself, Fred Coldwell, Bill Scott & others is going 
to allow all this tribal knowledge out into the daylight.

Back to Falcons.  There seems to be 2 versions floating around. There 
was a 22 foot version made in Ohio in 1959 that Fred Coldwell has 
described.  It is a rather nondescript layout based on the Flying Cloud. 
It's only real distinguishing feature was it had a full accross rear 
bath. It was offered in a version where the front couch pulled out, and 
had a pair of windows forward of the door necessitating a door further 
aft on the body. Same paired windows on the streetside.
The Murphy style street-side fold-down bed version had only one pair of 
windows forward of the door, with the pair still on the streetside.

Here's the kicker.  There were only 5 of these crazy things made, and 
carried the serial numbers O-4301 to O-4305.  They carried the old style 
4 digit numbers, even though made for the 1959 model year. It might have 
been that they were built in late 1958, and the line was discontinued 
due to poor advance interest, and Airstream decided not to continue with 
the model past the 5 committed orders - we will probably never know.

It is very doubtful a nameplate was made with Ffalcon name, instead it 
was probably the generic "Landyacht" plate with the Ohio & CA 
addresses on it.

The other Falcon is the one that shows up in Brian's book (buy it guys, 
it's less than $20 - details on the VAC website reading list page).  
Take a good look at that thing - it is not 22' long, 18' maybe?  It 
hasn't shown up yet anywhere other than that picture. Hopefully 
something will come to light on it one day.  You may have found 
something Jodi.

Jodi, what is the serial#?  I can tell you the model from that, or at 
least determine its origins. There were two 18' model lines going on in 
1959 (Globetrotter in Ohio and Traveler in California) and possibly a 
third (Caravel), all on the same 18ft  body style.

Later,
RJ