# "Man from U.N.C.L.E" episode where the bad guys ("THRUSH") fly a toy RC plane

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\
**Created:** [April 25, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514 "2025-04-25T23:57:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514/1 "2025-04-25T23:57:38Z")

</div>

IIRC it’s in the vicinity of NYC. A group of kids watch him launch it. One asks when it’s coming back, and he explains that it won’t be coming back.

And I think when it lands, it turns out not to have a bomb, but contains a note reading “Bang you’re dead”. Or I may be mixing up RC airplane scenes from my childhood.

Anyone remember this episode?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514/2 "2025-04-26T01:53:37Z")

</div>

Could be “The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514/3 "2025-04-26T02:12:58Z")

</div>

Definitely that episode according to [TV Tropes.](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/TheManFromUNCLE)

> - In “The Mad, Mad, Tea-Party”, a mysterious man uses a model airplane to bypass the security measures at the headquarters of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. The remote toy manages to drop a harmless bomb containing a taunting message.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514/4 "2025-04-26T02:21:14Z")

</div>

That’s the one! “The Mad, Mad, Tea-Party”. Thanks to all.

Oh, and I got the quote wrong. It’s “_Boom_, you’re dead”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-from-u-n-c-l-e-episode-where-the-bad-guys-thrush-fly-a-toy-rc-plane/1017514/5 "2025-04-26T03:50:06Z")

</div>

Sounds a lot like the opening to this episode of _ **The Avengers** _:

[“The Avengers” Two’s a Crowd (TV Episode 1965) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0516952/)

The aircraft was a radio-controlled model Lancaster.
