Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Ahoy! 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. I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, me hearties, 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. Avast! Ahoy! 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. Arrr! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, shiver me timbers, arrr, I went with an "E". Ahoy!

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

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