Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, matey, and a plan t' make something. I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, shiver me timbers, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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. '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, arrr, I went with an "E". Well, blow me down! Blimey!

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

About a week before I started on me rocket, shiver me timbers, I was 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 be goin' t' paint with it. Avast, me proud beauty! Now I know! Since my glue be dry, me bucko, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. It looked superb.

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