Challenge: animating the inanimate

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

Several years ago I read an article in a RC hobbie magazine. I wish I had saved it.

The author had radio control powerboats. Usually you need a raft or a row boat or something to take with you incase your RC boat quits in the middle of the lake or pond.

The author motorized a wooden duck decoy, and put an RC system. He rigged up a bobber with a treble hook that allowed him to send the RC duck out to retreive disabled RC boats on the lake.

He had it painted so well that spectators thought it was a real duck, trained to retreive the boats. He went along with this, and articulated the bill, so the duck would quack under RC control.

Really wish I had saved that article.

WHAT????!!!!

I think I've met this guy and his model duck!

In fact, I used to hang out with him at Sharon Park Lake where he drove his model boats. There was a whole group of guys that used to drive boats there.

There was also a group of ducks, which they were fond of tormenting. One day this guy shows up with this modified decoy and drives it among them. The ducks figured it out eventually.

But it sure was hilarious