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, matey, and a plan t' make something. Blimey! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Begad! I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Begad! Another one o' my ideas be that t' fins would have t' look tough. Blimey! Begad! 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! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, ya bilge rat, I went with an "E". Avast! Ahoy!

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

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