Nose art reading BALLS A' FIRE marks this combat-loaded Douglas A-1 Skyraider as it taxis out at a Southeast Asian base. The Skyraider carried a war load that jets of the period could not match, hanging fuel tanks, rocket pods and bombs from fifteen hardpoints and loitering for hours over a target. That endurance made it the aircraft of choice for escorting rescue helicopters and covering ground troops in contact. The heavy oil and exhaust staining down the cowling is characteristic of the aircraft's enormous Wright R-3350 radial engine. Project: 219827