Violet Riot

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

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

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Aye aye! Next, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, cut out me four fins. Ahoy! 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. Begad! I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. I followed t' directions and before I knew it, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Aye aye! Awesome, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! 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, ya bilge rat, 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. Aye aye! After t' fillets dried, 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! Now this stack o' rocket parts be startin' t' look like something. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Arrr! Begad! Now I know! Since my glue be dry, arrr, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. Ya scallywag! It looked superb. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag!

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

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

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