Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Avast! Ya scallywag! Old with 5 months o' rocket buildin' experience)

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

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

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

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

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

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