05x20 - He Wanted Wings

[bunniefuu]

© BF-WATCH TV 2021 Yeah, I remember those.

First World w*r.

I've got a model like that.

It's all mine.

Bought and paid for.

You paid for that wreck?

Oh, it's a wreck now, but it won't be when
I'm finished with it.

I found it in the airplane junkyard next to the airport.

What a buy, Uncle Charley.

Only $25 if I had it all the way.

I'm just glad I got it before any of the other guys saw it.

And what do you plan to do with it?

Join up?

Uncle Charley, all the kids that are
really with it are wild about old planes.

They're the newest things.

Well, new planes are nowhere.

Vicki Hoffman is taking flying lessons in
a modern plane, but Vicki Curtis won't

give them the time of day when she finds
out I've got a 1917 Newport 28.

Robbie, does your dad know about this?

Well, not yet, and I couldn't wait until
he gets back from Washington.

Somebody would have snapped it up.

I hope you know what you're doing, but
I'll bet it goes out faster than it came in.

Uncle Charley, you just don't dig.

But Dad will understand.

You'll see.

Dad.

Okay.

Any questions?

Pretty big, huh, Dad?

He brought it here in the truck.

Well, I didn't think they flew it in here, Chip.

Hi, Rob.

Oh, hi, Dad.

When'd you get back?

I just got in a few minutes ago.

Well, what do you think?

Is she a beauty?

Uh, yeah, yeah.

It's an old Newport, huh?

Yep.

Guys say I'll never get it put together,
but I'll show them.

They keep telling me I'll never get it up
in the air, but they'll see.

Uh-huh.

Well, I'd say you have a little work to
do, before that happens, huh?

Oh, Dad, this is Vicki Curtis.

Uh, where?

Oh, how do you do, Vicki?

Oh, hello, Mr. Douglas.

Aren't you proud of your son here?

Well, uh, yeah, yeah.

As soon as we get this up in the air,
we're gonna challenge Vicki to a drag race.

New plane or no new plane.

Uh, Dad, you remember Vicki Hoffman, don't you?

Yeah, I think I've met him with you, haven't I?

Well, uh, I don't want to keep you from your work.

Uh, you kids have fun.

Okay.

Here, Rock.

Oh, thanks, Chip.

How's your side coming, Vicki?

It's coming up, buddy.

Get over here.

Steve, have you flipped?

You're not going to let him keep that thing, are you?

Oh, sure, it'll be all right, Charlie.

Just relax.

Relax?

With that contraction in the backyard,
those things were dangerous in 1917.

Well, restoring antique airplanes is a big
fan now, Charlie.

And besides, uh, Vicki's a very attractive little girl,
and I think she's pretty impressed with the whole thing.

I think we'll just go along with Robbie for a while.

Steve, the minute he gets it patched up,
he's going to fly it, then.

Before you go, you've got to go, hmm.

What I read in the newspapers...
Charlie, he's not going to fly that old crate.

I checked the motor and the prop, and they're rusted solid.

They haven't made those parts for 40 years.

Now, a nice, safe project like that will
be good for Robbie.

Good?

Sure.

Keep his mind off flying.

Hi, Rob.

Hi, Vicki.

Hi, Vicki.

Hey, Vicki, I'm buzzing out to the airport for my lesson.

Want to come along?

Oh, thanks a lot, Vicki, but Robbie and I are
going over to his house and working the plane.

We have to patch the b*llet holes in the cowling.

b*llet holes?

In the cowling?



You know, new planes are nice,
but they give you no sense of the past.

Oh, there it is.

There it is, all right.

But what is it?

Don't you know?

They used to fly these in the olden days.

Oh, I see.

Before they invented airplanes.

Ernie, this is an airplane.

It sure is beat up.

Yeah, but look what it's been through.

All those dogfights in World w*r I.

Yeah, the other dogs almost tore its clothes clean off.

This is some airplane.

Where do the passengers sit?

Only one can sit, in back of the wing.

Where do they keep the coffee, tea, or milk?

Oh, come on, Ernie.

Hello, I'm home again.

Oh, hi, Rob.

Hi, Dad.

How are you, Vicki?

Hi.

Boy, you've been going back and forth from
Washington like a yo-yo these days.

Sure have, haven't I?

Hey, come on out and see what we did at
the new port while you were away.

Yeah, I want to see it.

It's kind of exciting about those b*llet holes.

b*llet holes?

The old ones, Dad, on the new port.

We got them patched up.

Oh, good.

Well, how is the last active member of the
Lafayette Escadrille?

Pushing ahead, sir.

Robbie, I'll bet you're the youngest World
w*r I pilot in the United States.

Yeah.

Well, come on, let's go.

I'll be right out as soon as I check the mail, Rob.

OK.

Hiya, Steve.

Oh, hi, Charley.

How was Washington?

Well, it was... Oh, don't tell me.

I know.

Hot.

That's right.

Say, Robbie's certainly getting a lot of
mileage out of a complete wreck.

Oh, that complete wreck ain't so complete.

Well, don't worry, Charley.

He'll never get her off the ground.

That's what they said about the Wright brothers.

I think you better go take another look.

Oh?

Mm.

OK.

Contact!

Contact!

Hey, aren't you supposed to hit that
ignition switch to get this thing to go?

Oh, that's right.

I forgot.

You're not trying to start that up, are you?

No, Dad.

We're just kidding around.

Oh.

Well, you certainly made a lot of headway.

Really looks like a plane.

Yeah.

Mr. Binsford down at the airport junkyard let us look
through his scrap pile, and we picked out some good stuff.

Oh, great.

I don't imagine you've been able to do
much with the motor, huh?

No.

That's a tough problem.

Well, you know, Robbie will work that out.

He's got an A in shop.

Hey, Vicki, give me the hand.

Yeah.

Well?

Yeah.

There she is.

That's the new board right there.

Crashed five minutes after we took that picture.

Shot down?

No.

Dived out of control.

They were tricky devils.

Yeah, I've heard they were.

I'll tell you one thing, Steve.

They can outmaneuver practically anything.

Great little plane.

Except for the blamed landing gear.

We used to say that we lost more pilots than the
Newport landing gear than we did to the Germans.

It was sort of a squadron joke.

Some joke.

We would have done better with a pair of
bicycle wheels for a landing gear.

Tell me, Ed.

There isn't any possible chance that Robbie
could fix that old plane up so she could fly, is there?

No.

Or a Jenny, maybe, but you just can't find
the parts for the Newport.

Yeah, that's what I figured.

Why don't you let Robbie go as far as he
can with it and then trade it for a Jenny?

Well, that's an idea, Ed, but I think
we'll just stick with the Newport.

Thanks a lot.

How was Washington?

Hot.

How else?

Did your plane happen to pass, Robbie?

Flying his Newport?

That would be the day, wouldn't it?

Oh, thanks.

No, Charley, I don't think we have to worry about that.

That old plane's about as harmless as an erector's set.

I think you'd better take another look.

You don't mean right now, do you?

He's not going to take off in the next five minutes, is he?

Robbie!

Cut!

Ed, I thought you said it couldn't be done.

Dad, I couldn't have done it by myself.

Steve, the more I thought about the odds against
this boy, the more I realized I had to pitch in and help.

I gave him a few flying lessons, too.

On the ground, of course.

I don't know what to say.

Oh, don't thank me, Steve.

Glad to be of help.

Well, come on, crew.

We've got to get this baby in fighting
trim before the Jerrys get here.

Jerry, I mean, Roger.

He doesn't, huh?

Harmless as an erector's set, huh?

Yeah.

What?

Frank.

Oh, there he is.

Come right here.

What do you want?

Not good, sir.

Von Binnenberg is here.

Von Speisling is here.

Von Stapler is here.

And von Binklehaven is up there.

And, uh, we're here.

This is all good cut off.

I'm afraid they're not going to get
through with our supplies.

You mean?

Another weekend without peanut brittle.

Shall I tell the men?

No.

I'll do it.

My job.

Ah, Mrs. and the rector said, eh?

Von Binnenberg is here, von Schmeissling
is here, and von Stefflin is there.

And the peanut brittle is there.

And von Blinkenhofen is... We know where he is, Sergeant.

This never happened to me when I was with Colonel Teddy.

Von Binnenberg,

was your reserve meeting?

How was it?

Oh!

It was all very good, sir.

We had a terrific film.

It showed how to attach Newport wheels to bicycle frames.

It's called Hell's Bicycle.

I'm glad someone finally thought of that.

We've lost more men to faulty bicycles
than we have to the Germans.

That's a sort of squadron joke.

Yes, say, that is a good one, sir.

Oh, by the way, the replacement pilot is outside.

All right, send him in.

Yes, sir.

Hey, uh, replacement pilot.

Come in.

The exec wants to see you.

That's a lot of Douglas reporting, sir.

Not easy, Douglas.

The old man will be in in a minute.

For a minute, I thought you were the old man.

w*r plays strange tricks, Douglas.

There's a mademoiselle at the back door.

Where'd she come from?

Says she's a mom in tears, and she wants to polyvo.

Probably wants to complain about one of
the pilots buzzing her house.

Send her in, Sergeant.

Come in.

Come in, Frenchie.

You, uh, know each other?

Yes, it's just a little wet.

Douglas?

Yes, sir?

Look at this.

Well, a little perishing.

No.

Oh.

A mickle-hoffin just flew over the field and dropped it.

Dear Schweinhund, send up any two of your best
men and best pilots, and I shall blast them from the sky.

Baron von Micklehoffin.

Von Micklehoffin, then.

My don'ts.

Why him?

He's just arrived.

He's got to go.

What's your name, son?

Douglas.

Yes, sir.

The colonel wants to know your name.

Yes, sir.

Douglas, sir.

Robbie Douglas.

Colonel, I beg of you, don't send that boy up.

Well, Steve, somebody's got to go.

I know, but why not somebody else?

Very well.

We'll send the next man who comes into this room.

Chip.

Douglas reporting for duty, sir.

Good man.

You've got just the job for you.

Oh, good.

Baron von Binklehoffen has offered to
fight two of my best pilots.

You will take up a Newport fighter and
have it out with him.

Yes, sir.

But I think I ought to tell you,
I can't reach the foot pedals.

Very well.

In that case, it's up to you, Lieutenant Douglas.

Yes, sir.

Permission to ask a question, sir.

Permission granted.

Speak up.

The ones with the circles painted under the c*ck
are ours, and the ones with the black crosses are theirs.

Is that right, sir?

Good boy.

Now go on up there and show Jerry a thing or two.

Yes, sir.

Come on, Jerry.

Come on.

Boy, what a night.

You better lay off those speeches too close to bedtime.

You know, Charlie, those things weren't
even saved 40 years ago.

What things?

Those things, even with bicycle wheels.

I think you're talking.

I'm off.

Hey, Rob, wait a minute.

I want to talk to you.

Oh, sure.

This is kind of difficult for me to say, Rob.

I mean, well, it's fine for you to have
something to do with your spare time,

but, well, when it gets to the point where
there's danger involved, then I...

Excuse me, Dad, I think I know what it is.

You're worried about the Newport, aren't you?

Yeah, yeah, I am.

I knew you were worried, Dad.

And I knew you were going along with me just
because it was so important for me to impress Vicki Curtis.

Well, she is a very pretty girl.

Dad, what's so great about you is the way
you understand my point of view.

Well, I understand your point of view, too, Dad.

I'm glad you do, Rob.

I know that old Newport isn't the safest
plane in the world.

You're so right.

So don't worry.

I'm not an irresponsible teenager.

So I perish you.

Now you don't have to do any more worrying.

I packed it myself.

Of course, it's a little lumpy,
but I'll do better next time.

I'll be gone.

I'll be late.

So long.

So long.

Hello.

Yeah, oh, yeah, Charlie.

Well, when I got back from shopping,
the plane was gone from the backyard.

What?

How could it be gone?

Well, the shipper said they put the plane on the truck
and they're headed for the first flight at the airport.

Out here to the airport?

How long ago did they leave?

Well, Chip said it was about an hour ago.

Never mind, Charlie.

I think they're here.

Oh,

you think you're not ready?

Not too hard, the wings will fall off.

No.

No.

How.

Can he be a good pilot?

He's only had two lessons and I'm the ground.

Robbie, what are you doing down here?

You're supposed to be up there flying that plane.

Dad, that's Mr. Walsh flying that plane.

Oh.

I sold him the Newport.

Threw in the parachute for nothing.

You did?

Yeah.

Well, I'm glad to hear that.

Dad, tell me something.

If I'd actually tried to fly the plane,
what would you have done?

I'd have pulled you out of that c*ck,
passed it, and you can say Baron von Binklehorn.

Who is he?

Well, in World w*r I, he was just about to...

Well, never mind.

Come on, Dad, I'll treat you to a soda.

I think I could use one.

Hey, Dad!

Uncle Charley!

What?

The creature from the Black Lagoon.

Rob, where did you get that?

Well, I bought it from Mel Jackson.

He gave me a real good deal on it.

You're going underwater with that.

Well, sure.

It's secondhand, but it's in real good condition.

It only needs a little patching up before
I take any deep dives in it.

Well,

I only hope Robbie and Mr. Welsh wear the same size.