The CIA's Amazing RC Animals From the 70s

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday February 9, 2011 @06:23AM from the too-cool-for-old-school dept.

GameboyRMH writes "If you were impressed at the remote-controlled ornithopters released in recent years, then this will really knock your socks off: In the 1970s, the CIA developed and tested a remote-controlled ornithopter that was disguised as a dragonfly — and at roughly the size of a dragonfly. It was intended to be used as a platform for listening devices. This 'insectothopter' was laser-guided and powered by a tiny gasoline engine built by a watchmaker. While its performance was impressive, difficulty controlling the tiny craft in crosswinds made it impractical, and the idea was scrapped. The article also mentions a robo-squid, and has information on a remote-controlled fish (video) that is also very impressive."

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Re:First post on my own article! by GameboyRMH · 2011-02-09 06:41 · Score: 1, Funny

Thank you, I'll cherish it forever ^_^
I'd like to thank my N900 for helping me work around my currently-unreliable office Internet connection, which nearly thwarted my attempt. It wasn't easy, I credit many hours on Quake 3 Arena with developing my ninja-like reflexes.

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"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
What's more likely? by catmistake · 2011-02-09 06:44 · Score: 1, Funny

What's more likely? That some intelligent hand designed and built these? Or they evolved over hundreds of millions of years?

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The Admin and the Engineer
Re:Really cool but... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-02-09 08:35 · Score: 2, Funny

If they how you learned what you know then they'll know what else you could have learned and what you couldn't have learned that way.

Jesus Christ! Is that a sentence, or a one-time pad?