Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, me hearties, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, and a plan t' make something. I wasn't sure exactly what be t' come o' it, ya bilge rat, 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 was that t' fins would have t' look tough. Ahoy! Blimey! 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, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! Next, me hearties, me bucko, 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! Ya scallywag! I like t' way they looked already! My next plan o' attack was t' get t' engine mount in. I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. Avast, me proud beauty! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, arrr, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Ahoy! Arrr! Awesome, I thought, matey, 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. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Ya scallywag! Begad! I then glued on me fins one at a time, matey, me hearties, what a long time t' wait. Avast! Oh well, t' wait was finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Ahoy! After t' fillets dried, shiver me timbers, 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. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Now this stack o' rocket parts was startin' t' look like something. Begad! Avast! 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. Ya scallywag! It looked super cool so I picked it up without t' knowledge o' what I was goin' t' paint with it. Begad! Begad! Now I know! Since my glue be dry, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. It looked superb. Blimey! Begad!

Now I needed t' come up with a name. Well, blow me down! The name was goin' t' have t' be just as cool as t' rocket itself. Arrr! Avast! Hmmm... Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Violent Violet? Violet Violence? Neither one sounded just right. Purple Bomber? Naw, that sounds lame. I thought and thought. Avast! Ya scallywag! Then it came t' me like a flash of lightning. Well, blow me down! VIOLET RIOT. Aye aye! Begad! Yeah, me bucko, it's cool, me bucko, tough, and it fits t' paint job nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! Now I would have t' find some artistic way t' make this rocket live up to it's name. Ahoy! I connected t' Ask Jeeves picture search and typed in rioter. Begad! I found some pretty cool pics. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! 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. 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. 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. Arrr! There we go. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! It looks better than I ever could've imagined. Arrr! Hmmm... Begad! Ahoy! I think this might need a nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought o' turnin' me own out of styrofoam, me hearties, arrr, but I'll wait till I build a few more rockets before attempting that. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' Estes Fat Boy I have on me shelf stares me down just waitin' t' be used for another purpose. I couldn't take it anymore. Ahoy! Begad! Aaargh! I ripped t' nose cone out o' that sucker and sanded off t' red paint. Avast, me proud beauty! Then I painted it in a soothing, calmin' purple. Ahhh. Blimey! Now I can Relax. Well, blow me down! But nay before addin' a parachute, shiver me timbers, o' course. My Violet Riot looks really awesome considerin' I didn't know exactly what I be plannin' on buildin' in t' first place. Well, blow me down! 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 be on an E9-4 clear skies, me bucko, 60 degrees. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Wind was about 5-7mph. Start t' long awaited countdown... Aye aye! Blimey! 5, 4, 3, 2, me hearties, arrr, 1... Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! Woosh! Blimey! T' rocket took off. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! I was hopin' for a good flight and I am pleased t' announce it went better than I could've ever imagined. My Violet Riot took t' t' skies as if it was destined t' go t' it's home in space. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Then after t' 4 second delay, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, the parachute deployed. T' wind took me rocket on a little journey, but it landed safely in t' grass. Arrr! Blimey! No damage whatsoever. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! I could fly again! Blimey! Second launch, temp 47 wind 10mph. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Another safe and beautiful flight, me bucko, just as majestic as the first. Blimey! I am lookin' forward t' many more beautiful launches from this super cool rocket.