Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Aye aye! Old with 5 months o' rocket buildin' experience)

This rocket started off as a bt-80, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, shiver me timbers, arrr, and a plan t' make something. Aye aye! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Ahoy! I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Well, blow me down! Another one o' my ideas was that t' fins would have t' look tough. I also wanted t' make a rocket with a big engine and since this was t' be me very first custom built rocket(I've only been a model rocketeer since Jan. Avast! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, matey, I went with an "E". Avast, me proud beauty!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Aye aye! Blimey! Next, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, cut out me four fins. Immediately, me bucko, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I like t' way they looked already! Blimey! My next plan o' attack was t' get t' engine mount in. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. Avast, me proud beauty! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, me hearties, me bucko, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! Awesome, arrr, I thought, this is goin' to take a big engine! Blimey! Then I drew t' lines on me body tube for t' fin placement and also a line for me launch lug. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I then glued on me fins one at a time, what a long time t' wait. Oh well, shiver me timbers, t' wait be finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! After t' fillets dried, arrr, me bucko, which seems like an eternity, arrr, ya bilge rat, I glued on t' launch lug(and o' course waited for that t' dry) and did t' launch lug fillet. Now this stack o' rocket parts be startin' t' look like something. Wow! Blimey!

About a week before I started on me rocket, I be at a local hobby store and saw a can o' metallic purple paint. Well, blow me down! It looked super cool so I picked it up without t' knowledge o' what I was goin' t' paint with it. Begad! Now I know! Since my glue was dry, ya bilge rat, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. It looked superb. Arrr!

Now I needed t' come up with a name. Well, blow me down! The name be goin' t' have t' be just as cool as t' rocket itself. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Hmmm... Arrr! Violent Violet? Violet Violence? Neither one sounded just right. Aye aye! Purple Bomber? Naw, that sounds lame. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I thought and thought. Ya scallywag! Then it came t' me like a flash of lightning. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! VIOLET RIOT. Yeah, me hearties, it's cool, tough, matey, and it fits t' paint job nicely. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Now I would have t' find some artistic way t' make this rocket live up to it's name. I connected t' Ask Jeeves picture search and typed in rioter. I found some pretty cool pics. I saved t' ones I really liked which consisted of molotov cocktails, a riot policeman whose helmet reads " If you can read this you're about t' get your head kicked in," and a riot control van. I proceeded t' resize and then print out me rock-art. Blimey! Then I got out some newspapers and cut out t' letters t' name me rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I glued t' pics and letters onto t' rocket and t' molotov cocktails on t' fins. Arrr! Aye aye! After it dried, I used some clear paint in a number o' very light coats t' protect me homemade decals. There we go. Aye aye! It looks better than I ever could've imagined. Hmmm... I think this might need a nose cone. Begad! Begad! I thought o' turnin' me own out of styrofoam, but I'll wait till I build a few more rockets before attempting that. Avast! T' Estes Fat Boy I have on me shelf stares me down just waitin' t' be used for another purpose. Blimey! I couldn't take it anymore. Aaargh! I ripped t' nose cone out o' that sucker and sanded off t' red paint. Avast! Then I painted it in a soothing, calmin' purple. Avast! Ahhh. Now I can Relax. But nay before addin' a parachute, o' course. Arrr! My Violet Riot looks really awesome considerin' I didn't know exactly what I was plannin' on buildin' in t' first place. Aye aye! It all just came together, I am proud o' me very first model rocket built from scratch with a big engine and a bilge-suckin' attitude!

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

First flight was on an E9-4 clear skies, arrr, ya bilge rat, 60 degrees. Well, blow me down! Wind was about 5-7mph. Start t' long awaited countdown... Blimey! 5, me hearties, 4, arrr, me hearties, 3, 2, 1... Arrr! Woosh! T' rocket took off. Well, blow me down! I was hopin' for a good flight and I am pleased t' announce it went better than I could've ever imagined. Ahoy! My Violet Riot took t' t' skies as if it was destined t' go t' it's home in space. Then after t' 4 second delay, the parachute deployed. Aye aye! T' wind took me rocket on a little journey, me hearties, but it landed safely in t' grass. Ya scallywag! No damage whatsoever. Avast! Well, blow me down! I could fly again! Second launch, temp 47 wind 10mph. Aye aye! Another safe and beautiful flight, me bucko, matey, just as majestic as the first. Well, blow me down! I am lookin' forward t' many more beautiful launches from this super cool rocket. Aye aye! Avast!