Violet Riot

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

This rocket started off as a bt-80, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, ya bilge rat, and a plan t' make something. Aye aye! I wasn't sure exactly what was t' come o' it, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! Ahoy! Another one o' my ideas was 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! '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, I went with an "E". Begad!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Blimey! Next, arrr, arrr, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, arrr, cut out me four fins. Begad! Immediately, me hearties, matey, 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. Well, blow me down! I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. Blimey! Begad! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, me hearties, arrr, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Begad! Awesome, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Avast, me proud beauty! I then glued on me fins one at a time, what a long time t' wait. Well, blow me down! Begad! Oh well, matey, me hearties, t' wait was finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. Arrr! After t' fillets dried, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! Now this stack o' rocket parts was startin' t' look like something. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Wow!

About a week before I started on me rocket, I be 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. Blimey! Begad! Now I know! Since my glue was dry, matey, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. Well, blow me down! It looked superb.

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