Set in the first world war, Dick Dastardly is the lead commander of the Vulture Squadron; their sole goal, to capture Yankee Doodle Pigeon, the ever elusive enemy messenger of the skies. To this end, Dastardly and his band of incompetents incorporate the bizarre flying devices conjured up by mechanic Klunk. Yet no matter what or how hard they try, they generally find themselves heading back down to earth empty-handed, usually in the quickest and most painful way.