The Kent State’s Veterans’ Club built an Air Force-themed float to display in the Homecoming parade Saturday.

The float displays a P-51 Mustang-style plane, which was commonly used in World War II. A motorized propeller and a smoke machine to create exhaust give the plane added complexity, Veterans Club President Brian Stofiel said.

“There is a substantial structure underneath that we build,” he said. “The first eight hours were just building the frame.”

The front of the float holds a candy gun to shoot Tootsie Rolls into the crowd, and six members of the club will also throw candy.

Stofiel, who was heavily involved in designing and building the float, said he wasn’t worried about the plane falling apart during the parade because of its sturdy structure. The plane, which is made out of cardboard, wooden pallets, PVC piping and duct tape, took an estimated 30 hours to complete.

The Veterans Club won the title of “Best Float” in 2012 with an Army tank and in 2010 with a Navy battleship.

Stofiel said an organization is not allowed to win the title of “Best Float” two years in a row, so the club waited until this year to put the effort into another potential winner.

Contact Leanne O’Neill at [email protected].