WIX Archives
Chino artifacts unearthed...
Posted by bdk on Mon Feb 04, 2002 11:56:33 AM
In reply top null posted by null on null
Some new artifacts have come to light during excavation which is part of the construction of some new taxiways at Chino Airport.
Chino Airport, formerly Cal Aero Field was used by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation after the war as a central collection point for aircraft to be smelted into aluminum ingots. See the movie, "The Best Years of Our Lives" with Dana Andrews which had portions filmed at Chino showing B-17's being smelted.
Anyhow, the point of all this is that numerous artifacts have been found. When the aluminum was smelted, most of the steel bits survived more or less intact and were bulldozed into the ground. The farmers that lease some of the airport property have been churning up things like radial engine valves for years. Now that the excavation has gone below the surface for the base of the new taxiway, some airport buddies of mine have found some new tidbits, one of which is an entire P-39 main landing gear leg (although the strut is bent). There are lots of other parts that have survived, especially the stainless steel parts like ammunition chutes and firewall dishpans. Most are seriously smashed, but interesting nonetheless.
There must be tons of this stuff buried at Chino, but I'm not sure how much would be any good (let alone identifiable).
And don't forget... Chino is an active airport with an armed "security force," so digging adjacent to the runway with your garden shovel is probably discouraged.