Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. 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. Avast! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Blimey! Avast! I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Avast, me proud beauty! Another one o' my ideas be 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. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, arrr, I went with an "E". Blimey!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Next, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, matey, cut out me four fins. Arrr! Immediately, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! I like t' way they looked already! My next plan o' attack be t' get t' engine mount in. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. Well, blow me down! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, me hearties, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Well, blow me down! Awesome, ya bilge rat, I thought, shiver me timbers, 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. Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Aye aye! Aye aye! I then glued on me fins one at a time, what a long time t' wait. Oh well, t' wait was finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! After t' fillets dried, ya bilge rat, matey, me bucko, 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. Ya scallywag! 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. It looked super cool so I picked it up without t' knowledge o' what I was goin' t' paint with it. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Now I know! Blimey! Since my glue was dry, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. Avast! Blimey! It looked superb.

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

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

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