Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, arrr, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, shiver me timbers, and a plan t' make something. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I wasn't sure exactly what be t' come o' it, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, shiver me timbers, I went with an "E". Avast, me proud beauty!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Aye aye! Ahoy! Next, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, cut out me four fins. Immediately, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... Begad! I like t' way they looked already! My next plan o' attack be t' get t' engine mount in. I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. I followed t' directions and before I knew it, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Ya scallywag! Awesome, ya bilge rat, I thought, 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. Ahoy! Arrr! I then glued on me fins one at a time, matey, what a long time t' wait. Ahoy! Arrr! Oh well, t' wait be finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! After t' fillets dried, me bucko, which seems like an eternity, shiver me timbers, I glued on t' launch lug(and o' course waited for that t' dry) and did t' launch lug fillet. Well, blow me down! 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. 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. Ahoy! Begad! Now I know! Since my glue was dry, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It looked superb. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!

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

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

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