A U.S. Air Force A-1 Skyraider, nicknamed the "Spad" by its pilots, banks over open water during the Vietnam War. Despite entering service in the late 1940s as a piston-engine, propeller-driven design, the rugged Skyraider remained a mainstay of close air support and search-and-rescue escort missions well into the jet age, valued for its long loiter time, heavy weapons load, and ability to absorb battle damage. Project: 219827