Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Well, blow me down! Old with 5 months o' rocket buildin' experience)

This rocket started off as a bt-80, arrr, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, arrr, and a plan t' make something. Begad! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, me bucko, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Another one o' my ideas be that t' fins would have t' look tough. Begad! 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. '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Next, me bucko, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, matey, shiver me timbers, cut out me four fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Immediately, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... 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. Ahoy! Blimey! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, arrr, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! Awesome, ya bilge rat, I thought, me hearties, 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. Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I then glued on me fins one at a time, shiver me timbers, what a long time t' wait. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Oh well, me bucko, t' wait was finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Blimey! Blimey! After t' fillets dried, matey, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Now this stack o' rocket parts be startin' t' look like something. Begad! Blimey! Wow! Blimey!

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

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