Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, shiver me timbers, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, and a plan t' make something. Aye aye! Blimey! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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 be that t' fins would have t' look tough. Begad! Blimey! 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. Ahoy! Blimey! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, ya bilge rat, I went with an "E". Begad! Blimey!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Next, me hearties, me hearties, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, me bucko, me bucko, cut out me four fins. Avast! Blimey! Immediately, matey, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... Well, blow me down! I like t' way they looked already! Blimey! My next plan o' attack was t' get t' engine mount in. I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. I followed t' directions and before I knew it, arrr, matey, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Awesome, me bucko, I thought, this is goin' to take a big engine! Blimey! Then I drew t' lines on me body tube for t' fin placement and also a line for me launch lug. Arrr! Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Ya scallywag! Avast! Blimey! I then glued on me fins one at a time, shiver me timbers, what a long time t' wait. Ahoy! Blimey! Oh well, me bucko, t' wait was finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After t' fillets dried, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! Now this stack o' rocket parts was startin' t' look like something. Wow! Blimey!

About a week before I started on me rocket, shiver me timbers, 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 be goin' t' paint with it. Ya scallywag! Now I know! Blimey! Since my glue was dry, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. It looked superb. Avast, me proud beauty!

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