Top Duck

**Top Duck** is the twenty-fourth episode of *DuckTales 1987*.

## Synopsis

Launchpad's family comes to visit while the Beagle Boys eye Scrooge's new jet so that they can use it to pilfer his Money Bin.

## Plot

Launchpad is flying his biplane in Scrooge’s yard, practicing his newest airplane stunt; the *Triple Decker Treetop Bebop Tuck ‘n Roll*, when he hits some telephone wires and goes flying out of the plane. Huey, Dewey, and Louie try to cheer up Launchpad, who is afraid that he won’t have a stunt ready for when his family arrives for the upcoming airshow. Launchpad explains to the boys that his family used to partake in many airshows as the Flying McQuacks. But, after crashing horribly during one performance, Launchpad felt that he couldn’t live up to his parents’ expectations and set out on his own.

Scrooge shows up, asking if the McX, a new prototype jet plane from McDuck Industries, has arrived yet. Having crashed his own plane, Launchpad begs Scrooge to let him fly the McX, who agrees once Launchpad offers to do it for free.

Meanwhile, in jail, the Beagle Boys are aware about the new McX, which they plan to use for crime-related purposes. Just then, their brother Bomber], a pilot, shows up in his airplane, and frees Burger and Bouncer, leaving Big Time behind.

At the airshow, Scrooge and his nephews are waiting for Launchpad to show up in the McX, when Italian pilot Benzino Gassolini shows up in his plane. The Beagle Boys show up, but they keep a low profile, just as Launchpad’s family; father Ripcord, mother Birdie, and sister Loopy arrive. The Flying McQuacks meet up with Scrooge and the boys, and they tell them about how Launchpad has gotten into crashes since he was a baby. But Scrooge is confident that even an idiot could fly the McX.

Launchpad gives off a demonstration of the McX’s features, including an ultra-sonic digger, which instantly bores a hole in the ground. Scrooge explains that the plane will revolutionize the mining industry. Meanwhile, the Beagle Boys fire some marshmallow goo from a hot air balloon at the McX, gumming up an engine and causing Launchpad to crash it. When Launchpad meets up with his parents, Bomber offers to fix up the McX for free. Scrooge, not knowing any better, accepts. Launchpad is ashamed of crashing, but his family still loves him anyway.

After the Beagle Boys clean out the engine, Bomber tests out the digger on the hangar wall, with his eyes set on Scrooge’s Money Bin. After fixing up the plane, Bomber convinces Scrooge to make him the new pilot because Launchpad crashed, and even ends up paying Scrooge five-hundred and fifty dollars to do so.

Launchpad is still depressed about how he crashed the McX in front of his family, and how he ruined his biplane. Huey, Dewey, and Louie remind Launchpad that he can still ride his biplane in the airshow if he can fix it up in time. The nephews then go to check out the McX while no one’s around, just when the Beagle Boys return to install vacuum bags in the plane. Though Huey and Louie manage to hide, Dewey, who was in the cockpit, gets trapped. Huey and Louie distract Burger and Bouncer by spraying them with a fire hose, while Bomber discovers Dewey. Bomber lets go of Dewey after being sprayed, but he then vacuums up the nephews, and has Burger lock them in a cage while he goes off with Bouncer.

Launchpad finishes up on fixing his plane with some help from Loopy, and is soon ready to fly again, much to his dismay. Meanwhile, the nephews are locked in a cage, while Bomber and Bouncer are in the McX, on their way to rob the Money Bin.

Back at the airshow, Benzino flies around in his plane while tossing a fresh pizza. After landing, he enters the hangar that Burger and the nephews are in, and offers Burger a slice. Burger gets so excited that he drops the key to the cage, and fails to notice Benzino using it to free the boys. Benzino then gives the boys the rest of the pizza and leaves. The boys place the pizza in the cage, and use it to lure Burger inside before locking him in. The boys then run off to find Scrooge.

Bomber and Bouncer arrive at the Money Bin, and they use the digger to blow open the roof. Launchpad flies by in his biplane just as the Beagle Boys proceed with vacuuming money out of the bin, and is determined to stop them. Bomber sets the vacuum in reverse and uses some of the stolen money as ammunition to shoot Launchpad with. At that moment, Benzino shows up in his biplane with Scrooge, while the rest of the McQuacks show up in their planes, each with a nephew. Launchpad uses his plane to knock Bouncer out of his harness, causing him to parachute to the ground.

Scrooge wants revenge on Bouncer, and grabs onto him, only to tangle the parachute, causing them both to fall. Launchpad performs his Triple Decker Treetop Bebop Tuck ‘n Roll move to rescue Scrooge and Bouncer from falling. Huey then shoots some axle grease at the McX’s windshield, blinding Bomber’s view. When all the biplanes surround the McX, they escort Bomber and Bouncer back to jail, where Big Time is still hanging around.

After landing, Scrooge apologizes for doubting Launchpad, while Ripcord explains that he’s always been incredibly proud of him, and that he’s always felt this way. After Birdy and Loopy agree with Ripcord, Launchpad sheds tears of joy, as he couldn’t be any prouder.

## Characters

* Benzino Gassolini
* Burger Beagle
* Bouncer Beagle
* Launchpad McQuack
* Ripcord McQuack
* Bomber Beagle
* Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck
* Birdie McQuack
* Loopy McQuack
* Big Time Beagle
* Scrooge McDuck

## Trivia

* The title of this episode is a reference to the 1986 movie ***Top Gun***.