Name: Launchpad McQuack

Aliases: L.P.

Occupation: Pilot / Chauffeur

Appearance: Tall, muscular duck, white feathers, red hair, bulky chin by his orange bill, both rust colored pilot coat and helmet, scarf, tan knickerbockers, both brown belt and boots

Voice: Terence McGovern (Original Series), Beck Bennette (2017 Series)

Who is Launchpad McQuack?

Launchpad McQuack is the lovable crash prone pilot from ducktales. He is portrayed as a dim witted employee of Scrooge McDuck. Scrooge hires Launchpad because he will work for much less than everyone else. This happy-go-lucky character always gets the job done … along with crashing on the way. Launchpad is one of the tallest and bulkiest duck we have seen in duckburg. He dresses like a pilot, wears a scarf, goggles, a helmet, and a leather jacket. Regardless of his very strong duckbill, he has been confirmed to be a duck and not a pelican.

DuckTales

Launchpad’s first appearance was in the original Ducktales show in part 3 of the pilot, “The treasure of the Golden Suns”. He was hired by Gyro Gearloose and Scrooge to fly Gyro’s newest helicopter, the Condor. Launchpad had become a reoccurring character to pilot for Scrooge, because Launchpad has worked for Scrooge’s favorite price, which was next to nothing. At that point, Launchpad had a rate: 10 cents per mile, but he lowered it to a penny per mile to suit Scrooge.

Launchpad comes from a family of stunt airplane performers called ‘The Flying McQuacks’. In the episode “Top Duck”, Launchpad had to face his family after leaving them years ago. Launchpad always felt that he disappointed his family because he crashed so much he ran away to pursue his dream of being the best pilot in the world. Launchpad is a Junior Woodchuck Troop leader. He often mentors Doofus Drake, Huey, Dewey, and Louie throughout the series.

Launchpad also appears as Scrooge’s pilot in the Ducktales Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.

Darkwing Duck

Launchpad meets Darkwing Duck in the pilot episode of the show. Launchpad insists that he is Darkwing Duck’s Number One Fan. At the time, Darkwing did not require any help to be a superhero and would not let Launchpad join him. However, when Gosalyn is kidnapped by Taurus Bulb, Darkwing enlists Launchpads help because of his new plan, the ThunderQuack. After this episode Launchpad is dubbed Darkwings true sidekick.

At this point, Launchpad exclusively flies for Darkwing Duck and serves as his sidekick. In the episode, “Water Way to Go”, Launchpad and Darkwing switch roles as being hero and sidekick. The twosome eventually saved the Princess of the kingdom and foiled the evil plot, and Darkwing accepted being a sidekick as not bad (for a fleeting few moments).

DuckTales 2017

Launchpad returns Ducktales 2017. We first meet him in the pilot episode “Woo-oo”. Launchpad is Scrooge’s chauffeur and not-so-subtly tells Scrooge he is a pilot. After Scrooge finally can’t find anyone to fly his plane, he hires Launchpad to fly the Sunchaser. According to “Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!”, Launchpad was born on 9/18/1987, and lives in the garage of McDuck Manor. Besides flying, one of Launchpad’s biggest passions is the Darkwing Duck television show, which inspired him to live life dangerously.