Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, 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, me proud beauty! 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 be t' be me very first custom built rocket(I've only been a model rocketeer since Jan. Aye aye! Arrr! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, ya bilge rat, I went with an "E". Ya scallywag!

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

Now I needed t' come up with a name. Ahoy! The name was goin' t' have t' be just as cool as t' rocket itself. Aye aye! Hmmm... Violent Violet? Violet Violence? Neither one sounded just right. Ya scallywag! Begad! Purple Bomber? Naw, that sounds lame. Ya scallywag! I thought and thought. Then it came t' me like a flash of lightning. Well, blow me down! VIOLET RIOT. Yeah, me hearties, it's cool, tough, and it fits t' paint job nicely. Well, blow me down! Now I would have t' find some artistic way t' make this rocket live up to it's name. Well, blow me down! I connected t' Ask Jeeves picture search and typed in rioter. Avast, me proud beauty! I found some pretty cool pics. Begad! I saved t' ones I really liked which consisted of molotov cocktails, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I proceeded t' resize and then print out me rock-art. Blimey! Then I got out some newspapers and cut out t' letters t' name me rocket. Begad! I glued t' pics and letters onto t' rocket and t' molotov cocktails on t' fins. Aye aye! After it dried, I used some clear paint in a number o' very light coats t' protect me homemade decals. Well, blow me down! There we go. Avast! It looks better than I ever could've imagined. Avast! Begad! Hmmm... Aye aye! I think this might need a nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought o' turnin' me own out of styrofoam, 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. Begad! I couldn't take it anymore. Aaargh! I ripped t' nose cone out o' that sucker and sanded off t' red paint. Avast! Then I painted it in a soothing, calmin' purple. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahhh. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Now I can Relax. Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! But nay before addin' a parachute, ya bilge rat, o' course. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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 bad attitude!

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

First flight be on an E9-4 clear skies, me bucko, 60 degrees. Aye aye! Wind was about 5-7mph. Start t' long awaited countdown... 5, 4, me bucko, 3, 2, 1... Blimey! Woosh! T' rocket took off. Avast, me proud beauty! I was hopin' for a good flight and I am pleased t' announce it went better than I could've ever imagined. Avast, me proud beauty! My Violet Riot took t' t' skies as if it was destined t' go t' it's home in space. Avast! Blimey! Then after t' 4 second delay, the parachute deployed. Well, blow me down! T' wind took me rocket on a little journey, me hearties, but it landed safely in t' grass. Ahoy! Arrr! No damage whatsoever. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I could fly again! Second launch, temp 47 wind 10mph. Another safe and beautiful flight, arrr, just as majestic as the first. I am lookin' forward t' many more beautiful launches from this super cool rocket. Begad!