Remembering the Aero Flite Falcon, the Most Elegant, High-End Trailer in the U.S.

The Aero Flite is a very rare and small-production travel trailer that broke on the U.S. post-war scene, obsessed with aeronautical-inspired designs, with a novel proposal: a trailer that was built to aircraft standards by aircraft experts but that delivered the feel and looks of a yacht inside. Aero Flite trailers weren't just the "smartest"; they were the best-looking in the country, too.

Aero Flite trailers were produced by Aero Lines, a subsidiary of Aero Services, which, in turn, had ties to the Wally Timm Company, whose two divisions built experimental aircraft and planes for big-budget Hollywood movies. When the Wally Timm Company changed ownership, it became Aero Services operating out of Van Nuys Airport in California.

Aero Lines was founded in the final days of World War II as a way for Aero Services to counter the fact that military contracts would no longer be coming in. Given the increased interest in luxury travel trailers, the newly-founded company would cater to this segment, but using already existing experience in aircraft construction.

In December 1945, outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, the first unit of the Aero Flite trailer made its public debut. Aero Lines designers Frederick C. Hoffman and J. H. Nicholson had designed two different models, the Eagle and the Falcon, but only the latter was ever produced. Two prototypes called pilot trailers were built, one for each. Again, it was only the Falcon that was shown to the public.

By all accounts, the Eagle model, measuring 13 feet (3.9 meters), only existed as that sole pilot, which has since been lost. The Falcon, which measured 20 feet (6 meters) overall, with a body width of 94 inches (239 cm) and a height of 8.8 feet (2.7 meters), went into production the following year. A patent for the design was awarded in 1948, but later that same year, or early in 1949, Aero Lines went out of business.

The Aero Flite Falcon had a short life of less than four years, during which time some 110 to 120 units were produced. Less than 30 of these have survived the passage of time, and only a handful have been restored to their original glory. It goes without saying that these units are very hot collector's pieces, with prices to match. They're also the closest thing to a work of art on the RV market.

That's not an exaggeration, either. The Aero Flite was the most elegant, futuristic, and luxurious travel trailer, with a surprising combination of polished metal and real mahogany inside, giving it a yacht-like feel and comfort.

Designed with a monocoque aluminum frame and chassis, the Aero Flite stood out from all the other shiny travel trailers for using steel only in the axle. The floor was magnesium with balsa-core aircraft plywood layered on top, the entire kitchen was done in stainless steel and aluminum, and finishes ranged from plush velvet to hardwood for the ceiling panels, mahogany for the cabinets, and dark rosewood for the furniture.

The Aero Flite was gorgeous and classy, but it was also very functional. Tipping the scales at either 1,860 lbs/844 kg or maybe 2,400 lbs/1,089 kg (different spec sheets list different weights), it was lightweight but robust because of the monocoque construction. It also incorporated various innovations, like the louvers on the front window and door panels that filtered the air coming in, an exhaust system that took out the hot air, and a slightly higher middle section of the roof, allowing for standing height.

The Falcon offered a large horseshoe dinette that could seat seven people comfortably, a full kitchen, and a bedroom. Falcon units came in two floorplans, one with a single large bed in the rear and the other with bunks separated by a nightstand. The kitchen had everything from a cooking range and oven to a cool box (or optional fridge), and sink with a water pump, and cabinets galore.

You might be wondering why a company with such extensive, though unrelated, expertise and experience, which delivered such a beautiful product, was able to mass produce it only for four short years.

One urban legend on the demise of Aero Lines claims that these trailers were built by Lockheed employees in their off-hours, using stolen Lockheed materials. They presumably went out of business after a police raid, which ended in their arrest. There's no evidence to back this rumor up; on the contrary, all documentation, including the patent, confirms that Aero Lines was a real, legitimate company.

In reality, the Aero Flite Falcon went out so prematurely because Aero Lines struggled with money from the start. Money was so tight that they needed to sell a trailer before they could build another because production costs were very high, and demand didn't match. The Aero Flite was too fancy for what the market needed back then.

Among the surviving Aero Flite Falcons is serial number 101X, known as Aero Flite "Lark," which is actually the Falcon pilot trailer that kicked off the business venture in 1945. It was bought by Neil Vanderbilt, Jr., famous writer and great-grandson of the wealthy shipping magnate Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who used it extensively before upgrading to a new one. It was rediscovered in 2006 and has since been restored.

Another gorgeous unit that's been restored happens to be available for sale now. It's a unit done by Flyte Camp LLC in 2018, an outfit known among RV collectors for the incredible work they do on vintage pieces, and it's absolutely beautiful.

Like all the other Aero Flites that are still on the road today, this one, too, hides modern amenities within the carefully replicated vintage design and original pieces brought back to life. In this particular case, we're talking about a flushing toilet, a larger freshwater tank, and solar cells on the roof to run the all-LED lights inside.

Whether you have $79,990 for a vintage trailer is of no importance, especially since this isn’t some sort of covert ad. The Aero Flite Falcon travel trailer was – and is – wonderful to look at: a beautiful, elegant family home on wheels with a very distinctive design. So let's enjoy it visually.