Among the aircraft to be damaged by the twister that tore through the SUN ’n FUN grounds Thursday afternoon was the Kitfox III built by Explorer Post 491 of Birmingham, Ala.
Yesterday we told you about the Kitfox, which was built by the teens to raffle off to raise money for the Explorer Post. The teens were selling tickets for $20 each for the Kitfox, with the winner taking possession of the plane once the raffle concluded.
But Mother Nature had other plans. When the skies turned to bottle green around 2 p.m., the focus was on getting to safety.
“We got everybody out and into shelter before it hit, but the airplane is a total loss, a total loss,” said Lance Akers, the director of marketing for the post, who describes the yellow and white Kitfox as “a ball of metal now.”
“The heart and soul of the Explorer Post was in that aircraft,” he continued. “This will bankrupt them.”
There has been mention of trying to rebuild the airplane, but that takes money. If you are at SUN ’n FUN and want to help, stop by their exhibit space on the southeast corner of the Warbird ramp. You can also make a donation online at AE491.org.