Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, shiver me timbers, matey, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, and a plan t' make something. Ahoy! Aye aye! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, arrr, 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. Begad! Another one o' my ideas was that t' fins would have t' look tough. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! 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. '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, shiver me timbers, matey, I went with an "E".

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

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

Now I needed t' come up with a name. Ahoy! The name was goin' t' have t' be just as cool as t' rocket itself. Arrr! Hmmm... Violent Violet? Violet Violence? Neither one sounded just right. Aye aye! Purple Bomber? Naw, that sounds lame. Aye aye! I thought and thought. Aye aye! Then it came t' me like a flash of lightning. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! VIOLET RIOT. Yeah, it's cool, tough, arrr, and it fits t' paint job nicely. Ya scallywag! Now I would have t' find some artistic way t' make this rocket live up to it's name. Begad! I connected t' Ask Jeeves picture search and typed in rioter. I found some pretty cool pics. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I proceeded t' resize and then print out me rock-art. Avast! Then I got out some newspapers and cut out t' letters t' name me rocket. I glued t' pics and letters onto t' rocket and t' molotov cocktails on t' fins. After it dried, I used some clear paint in a number o' very light coats t' protect me homemade decals. Avast! Ya scallywag! There we go. It looks better than I ever could've imagined. Hmmm... Ahoy! I think this might need a nose cone. Begad! Avast! I thought o' turnin' me own out of styrofoam, shiver me timbers, but I'll wait till I build a few more rockets before attempting that. Well, blow me down! T' Estes Fat Boy I have on me shelf stares me down just waitin' t' be used for another purpose. Ahoy! I couldn't take it anymore. Arrr! Aaargh! I ripped t' nose cone out o' that sucker and sanded off t' red paint. Ya scallywag! Then I painted it in a soothing, calmin' purple. Ahhh. Well, blow me down! Begad! Now I can Relax. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! But nay before addin' a parachute, o' course. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! My Violet Riot looks really awesome considerin' I didn't know exactly what I was plannin' on buildin' in t' first place. Avast, me proud beauty! It all just came together, matey, 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, me bucko, 60 degrees. Avast! Wind was about 5-7mph. Start t' long awaited countdown... 5, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 4, 3, me bucko, me hearties, 2, shiver me timbers, 1... Woosh! T' rocket took off. Begad! 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. Ahoy! Blimey! Then after t' 4 second delay, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, the parachute deployed. Well, blow me down! T' wind took me rocket on a little journey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but it landed safely in t' grass. Aye aye! No damage whatsoever. I could fly again! Second launch, temp 47 wind 10mph. Another safe and beautiful flight, just as majestic as the first. Blimey! I am lookin' forward t' many more beautiful launches from this super cool rocket. Ya scallywag!