Frey FCG 2017

First Halloween displaying the Frey FCG. Every single person (kids and adults) that came to the door complimented us on the prop. One little girl asked me "Why you have a ghost in you house?"

The major shortcoming of a traditional Flying Crank Ghost (originated by Doug Ferguson) is that the design uses a single motor. This means that the head/shoulders move up and down at the exact same speed as each of the two hands. This creates an unnatural, repeating motion, exactly the same, over and over. Also, the single motor is typically a 12V automotive wiper motor, requiring its own AC/DC power supply.

The Frey FCG, designed by Steven J. Frey (Dearborn Heights, MI) uses three (3) small, lightweight, AC powered gear motors. The three motors are geared to different speeds (6, 8 & 10 RPM), which move the head and both hands at different speeds. This creates a more natural (or super-natural) movement, with no repeating pattern. The three motors are light weight, and can be easily mounted to a simple board, and may be plugged directly into a 110V power source (standard wall outlet), and do not require an AC to DC converter. While a crank arm may be used with each motor, a disk provides better torsional strength. Holes for the connector pivots are located at various distances from the center, allowing for adjustment in the amount of stroke created. The prop may be set up to run continuously, or it can be controlled with a simple motion detector switch.

Several families also posed with our skeleton fire circle.