DuckTales

Plot Summary

I Didn't Know Your Plane Had a Hover Feature.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie talk their pilot friend Launchpad McQuack through dangerous aerial maneuvers via a radio. Launchpad flies over head in his biplane and reports that he is ready to do an extremely dangerous move that involves skimming the tree tops and looping around telephone wires. The boys warn him to not attempt it as it will get him killed. He successfully skirts the top of the tree but is tangled in the telephone wires. The propeller of his plane wraps itself in the wires, and he is ejected into the boys' tree house. The boys examine him for injuries and find none. They compliment him on a world class crash. Launchpad is not cheered up. He is normally proud of his crashes, but today he explains he wanted to get it right.

Crumple.

He talks about his family. He remembers his teenage years where his family was a group of traveling barnstormers. They perform a stunt involving flying through a barn and picking up a piece of cattle on their wings. His father and mother do the stunt correctly, but Launchpad botches the barn pass through. A pig ends up flying the plane, and the place clips a tree. The pig and Launchpad are ejected into a mud patch. Launchpad is so disappointed in his performance that he leaves home as to not make his parents regret having him. Ever since, Launchpad has been a mercenary pilot and hero for hire. Unluckily, his parents are visiting for the first time in years, and he wants to do the tree topping, wire looping stunt correctly. He wants to prove what a great pilot he has become. He is depressed because he has not become a great pilot.

Scrooge comes to retrieve his nephews and tells them of his new experimental plane: the McX. Scrooge explains that he is going to demonstrate the plane at that afternoon's air show. Launchpad pleads to be the test pilot. He gets down on his knees and begs Scrooge. Scrooge does not know. He intends for the McX to survive its maiden flight. Launchpad says he will fly the plane for free. Scrooge accepts. He cannot resist a bargain, particularly from a friend. The group depart for the airstrip.

Prison Break.

In Duckburg Penitentiary, the Beagle Boys Gang shouts that they want out of their cell. They read a newspaper resting on a table and find a way to commit the crimes of the future. The newspaper's cover story is about the McX. They plan to steal the plane and perform untold acts of larceny. They wait for their brother Bomber Beagle to retrieve them from prison. Bank Job and Burger Beagle hear a plane approaching and stick their head through the cell bars on their window. Bomber Beagle flies parallel to the jail cell and throws a grappling hook onto the bars. The plane pulls the bars away with Bank Job and Burger holding onto them. A third brother in the prison cell, Big Time, complains that he is being left behind.

John Wayne Duck Pilot!

The air show begins. Scrooge and his nephews wonder where Launchpad is while watching the arrival of many famed pilots. Famed air, dog, and automobile racer Benzino Gasolini lands. He waves to the audience. The Beagle Boy's plane lands, and they prepare to steal the McX. The announcer of the air show announces the arrival of the Flying McQuacks, Launchpad's family. Three biplanes perform stunts before landing and leap frogging over each other. Launchpad's father, mother, and sister disembark their planes and walk over to Scrooge. They ask if Scrooge has seen Launchpad. Scrooge says not recently, so Launchpad's mother shows a long string of pictures from Launchpad's birth to more recent times. Apparently, they have always loved their son. They say that Launchpad never gave up flying after every crash, even crashes before he could walk -- in cribs. Scrooge assures himself that nobody could crash the McX. He claims it is idiot proof. He looks at his watch and wonders why Launchpad is late.

Pink!

Launchpad flies towards the airstrip in the McX experimental jet. The Beagle Boys float in a hot air balloon and load sticky, sticky marshmallow goo into a catapult. An announcer states that the McX is arriving and invites Scrooge to the announcer's booth to narrate the plane. Launchpad flies the plane to demonstrate Scrooge's speech. Scrooge says that the plane has VTOL and RATO capabilities. Also, for some reason, it has an ultrasonic drill that can be used to revolutionize mining. From the air. In a plane. The Beagle Boys make their move. They launch the marshmallow goo into the plane's starboard engine. It sputters, and the plane loses power. Launchpad crashes into the announcer's booth and several other structures before landing the plane more or less intact.

Nice Hat!

Launchpad disembarks the plane and awaits the cavalcade of insults. Scrooge shouts at Launchpad for ruining his plane. His parents try to comfort him, but Launchpad thinks that they hate him. He completes their comforting sentences to make it sound like they are ashamed and embarrassed of him. They try to explain different, but he does not listen. Bomber Beagle approaches the plane with a tow truck and explains that he and his expert mechanics can fix the plane. He even offers to do it for free. Scrooge cannot resist a bargain and accepts. Scrooge's nephews notice the marshmallow goo in the engine and find the mechanics suspect -- perhaps because they proudly wear prison numbers on their clothes.

Pay Up!

The Beagle Boys pull the plane into a hangar and start testing its systems. They fire the drill and blow a hole in the wall of the hangar. They declare that their next stop is Scrooge's Money Bin. Later, Bomber Beagle presents the fixed McX to Scrooge. Scrooge is impressed. Bomber Beagle asks Scrooge if he wants Launchpad to fly and crash the McX again. Scrooge ponders the question. Bomber Beagle says that he would pay for the chance to fly the McX. Scrooge haggles with Bomber Beagle over the price. Eventually, Bomber Beagle pays $550 for the opportunity to fly the McX.

At Launchpad's private airstrip and hangar, Scrooge beats himself over crashing the McX. Huey, Dewey, and Louie try to console him. Launchpad says that he crashed the plane in front of his father, mother, and sister. He hits his head on the fuselage of his biplane. The boys suggest he fly his biplane in the show. They try spinning the propeller, and it falls off. They hand Launchpad a wrench and say that the world's best pilots are also great mechanics. A reinvigorated Launchpad agrees to try. The boys say they are going to search the McX and investigate the mechanics. They run to the airstrip.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! WOOOOOOAHHHH!

The boys examine the McX. They tap the fuselage and find hollow points that were not present earlier. They find that someone has modified the plane. Dewey climbs into the plane and checks the instruments. The Beagle Boys enter, and Huey and Louie dive for cover. Dewey hides in the plane. The Beagle Boys load vacuum bags into the hollow area of the plane. Huey and Louie recognize the Beagle Boys and try to stop them. They hop in a small cart and drive the vehicle at the Beagle Boys. The Beagle boys scramble, and the boys reach a fire hose. They use the fire hose to knock over the Beagle Boys. Bomber Beagle grabs Dewey in the pilot's seat, but the force of the water knocks over the criminal. The boys reduce the force of the water, and Dewey rides the stream down to his brothers. The Beagle Boys recover and activate the vacuum mechanism they installed on the plane. It sucks the boys with hurricane force winds. The boys lose their grips and fly into the vacuum bag. The boys struggle to escape the vacuum bag. Huey manages to punch one of the Beagle Boys in the nose through the bag. Bomber Beagle orders Burger Beagle to lock up the boys.

Go for It! Achieve Your Dreams! Other Platitudes!

At Launchpad's hangar, Launchpad has difficulty repairing his plane. He narrows down the problem to one component, but he cannot figure out how to fix it. His sister sits on the plane and knows exactly what the problem is. She takes the component and sticks gum over a fracture. She puts it back into the plane and tells Launchpad to ignite the engine. Launchpad starts the engine, and the plane roars to life. His sister congratulates him and tells him to have fun at the air show. Launchpad is embarrassed for some reason.

At the McX Hangar, Burger Beagle taunts the boys. He says that they now know what it is like to be behind bars. He also lets slip that the Beagle Boys are using the McX to rob the Money Bin. In the McX, Bomber Beagle says that they will soon be rich thanks to the plane.

Did Anyone Order a Pizza!

At the air show, Benzino Gasolini makes a pizza in mid-air. He tosses a pizza in the air, loops, and grabs it. He adds spice and then lands. He waves to the crowd.

Back in the McX Hangar, Burger Beagle has fallen asleep. Gasolini enters the hangar and shocks Burger Beagle awake. He declares that he is delivering a pizza "for-a every-a-body." Burger Beagle is stupid and hungry. He takes a slice of pizza and drops the keys to the boys' cage. Gasolini walks over to the keys and unlocks the cage while Burger eats. He winks and leaves. The boys place the rest of the pizza in the cage and hope that Burger Beagle is stupid enough to crawl into the cage with the pizza. He is. They slam the cage closed and lock Burger inside the bars. They then run off to find Scrooge. Burger Beagle realizes the ruse and rattle the bars of the cage.

Like Peeling an Orange!

The McX circles the Money Bin. Bomber Beagle engages hover mode and uses the sonic drill to peel open the top of the Money Bin. They then begin vacuuming up the money inside the vault. Launchpad flies nearby. He is lost in a cloud bank. He realizes that he should have listened to the weather report and maybe brought an accurate map. He drops through the cloud cover to get his bearings. He spots the Beagle Boys using the McX to steal all of Scrooge's money. He decides to stop them. He buzzes the McX and interrupts their vacuuming. The Beagle Boys reverse the background and use the money as ammunition. They try to shoot down Launchpad. Launchpad retreats.

Formation Flying!

Gasolini and the Flying McQuacks arrive in their planes. Scrooge rides with Gasolini while the boys ride with the McQuacks. Gasolini declares that the current situation is terribly fun. Scrooge is not as happy about losing all his money. Launchpad's father leads the assault on the McX. Bomber Beagle sees that he is surrounded and tries to fly away with the loot. Launchpad buzzes the McX and nearly knocks Bank Job Beagle off the plane. The Beagle Boy climbs into the plane, but in his haste, he knocks all of the bags of money into the air. The money falls into Duckburg Pond while Bank Job Beagle pulls his parachute.

Justice is Served!

Scrooge grabs onto Bank Job with his cane. Scrooge is pulled from Gasolini's plane, tangles up the parachute, and they both fall. Launchpad radios for everyone else to back off. He tries the tree top looping stunt again. He skims the trees and catches Scrooge and Bank Job Beagle. He then loops the McX and makes Bomber Beagle dizzy. The other McQuacks dive on the McX. Huey uses a slingshot to shoot engine grease onto the windscreen of the McX. Bomber Beagle decides it is time to bail out. He opens the canopy and tries to clip out, but Louie shoots more grease onto the fuselage, and Bomber Beagle slips back into the cockpit. The McQuacks fly under the wings of the McX and guide it to the prison. They drop off the Beagle Boys in the prison courtyard. Bomber and Big Time Beagles shout at each other.

Posing!

The McQuacks, Scrooge, and the boys land at the airstrip. Scrooge apologizes for doubting Launchpad. Launchpad's father tries to compliment him, but Launchpad interrupts. His father has to hold his beak closed in order to say how proud he is of his son. Scrooge agrees and says that Launchpad is real chip off the old propeller. The McQuacks pose together as a family for no particular reason.

Name	Top Duck
Season	1
Episode Number	16
Type	Regular Episode
Is Pilot	False
Air Date	Oct. 15, 1987

DuckTales

Top Duck

Season 1, Episode 16

Plot Summary

Directors

Writers

Producers

Actors

DuckTales

Top Duck

Season 1, Episode 16

Plot Summary

Directors

Writers

Producers

Actors

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