European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 12, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Austin Watt Worth pilots Abt-13 above of National Warp an museum at be neut n. Y. The museum la located on hit farm. Old warplanes parked in a soybean Field by Randolph Picht associated Pressa Ustin Wadsworth had this farm. And on his farm he put some air planes. An at-6 Here and a c-4s there. Here an l-3. There a p-40. And before Wadsworth could say be in be in of he and his buddies had the foundation Lor what they Call the National warplane museum which is now Little More than a dozen or 30 planes parked in a mowed soybean Field a Geneseo . In five years however plans Call for spending $3.8 million to build a now hangar and other buildings to House High tech displays and add another Trio dozen planes. The museum recently took its biggest step shelling out j250.000 for a world War ii b-17 bomber one of eight still flying. I has been featured in two movies and once served As a special transport plane for Gen Dwight a. Eisenhower. We figured if we re going to do it. Why not go All he Way says Wadsworth. Who started the Ball rolling when he and some yellow museum launders Pul together a Canadian warplane show on his farm in 1961. Sure the runway has la be mowed once or twice a week and it s close to the Field where Wadsworth lets some locals play pickup Polo. But. As Dable executive director of the american association of museums Points out Elvery museum had to Start  wad Worth is usually at the controls when the b-17 takes off Tor is weekly Loop Over the Rural communities on the Western Edge of the Finger lakes Region about 30 Miles South of Rochester. What else you going to do in a Small town for fun asks Wadsworth a husky Man of 51 who s fond of putting on cigars and dialling with his terrier  the museum founders put the word National in their name Whon they incorporated in 1933 because they Hope to become known nationally. But Wadsworth says they have no illusions about becoming the biggest warplane museum in the country. We re going to concentrate on the world War ii Era and we d like to become known As the Best place to experience that period outside of Harlingen Texas Wadsworth says. Harlingen is the base for the Confederate air Force a 6,500-member group started in 1957 thai has the largest collection of flying world War ii aircraft in the world including several planes thai Are the last of their kind in the skies according to Ralph Royce the group s executive director. We Don t get heartburn Over those new York Guys Royce says. We want to see them gel fired  Wadsworth and company the museum s membership has grown to Over 1,000 have spent the last year learning about putting together museum displays and fund raising drives. They Hope to have enough pledges in two months to begin building the new hangar. We did t wont to have the image of just a Bunch of Guys with toys showing up asking for Money says Wadsworth. Whose family settled in Geneseo in 1790 on thousands of acres of land. We re doing it very carefully and so far it s been very  he says the group s Lisl fund raising Call on a local Lurn Ilure company netted $10.000 for this year and s5.000 for each of the next four years. Meanwhile $3 Tours of the b 17, which is flown to area air shows have brought in enough Money to a / the interest on Tho debt Tor the plane and the Cost of Hying it. Wadsworth co piloted the 6-17 from its previous Home in Arizona where it was being used for crop dusting and Fores i fire lighting. You wonder How anything that weighs 15 tons can plink Down on the runway like a Feather says wad Worth who wanted to Fly Wilh the air Force but was turned Down because he s Colo Blind. It s like dancing with a great big heavy woman who s Quick on her  often former b-17 Crew members show up and reminisce about the War like the time they had to kick open the bomb Bay doors at 20,000 feet. Some sit in the cockpit and recall watching the enemy fighters swooping in. Tears often come to their eyes. I remember two Guys who met Here and found out they both bailed Oul of a b-17," Wadsworth says. One Guy said. Where d you land i came Down in France the other Guy landed in  Wadsworth says that when he was Young everyone wanted to be a Pilot and dreamed of piloting a by 7 on a bombing Mission. We All had Pilot goggles and Pilot jackets and pretended we were flying in the Back Yard he says. It s different today Wadsworth says. The planes have become too sophisticated computerized and delicately maintained. They re Fine pieces of technology but i Don t know if their pilots Wilt remember one from another Wadsworth says. Sunday. October 12, 1986 the stars and stripes Paga 13