A USAF A-1 Skyraider — affectionately nicknamed the 'Spad' by its pilots — banks over open water at dusk, its nose adorned with a shark-mouth motif and its wings loaded with ordnance. Rugged and heavily armed, the propeller-driven Skyraider served as the backbone of USAF Air Commando close air support and 'Sandy' rescue-escort missions throughout the Vietnam War, long after jet aircraft had come to dominate the skies. Project: 218950