The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly AD) was an American single-seat en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. The Skyraiderhad a remarkably long and successful career; it became a en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocating_engine-powered en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propeller_%28aeronautics%29-driven anachronism in the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Age , and was nicknamed "Spad", after the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_Pour_L%27Aviation_et It was operated by the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy (USN), the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps (USMC) and the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force (USAF), and also saw service with the British en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy , the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Air_Force , the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Air_Force (VNAF), and others. In U.S. service it was finally replaced bThe piston-engined Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy requirements for a en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_carrier , single-seat, long-range, high performance en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dive_bomber/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torp , to follow-on from earlier types such as the Helldiver and Avenger.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider#cite_note-3 Designed by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Heinemann of the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Aircraft_Company , prototypes were ordered on 6 July 1944 as the XBT2D-1. The XBT2D-1 made its first flight on 18 March 1945 and in April 1945, the USN began evaluation of the aircraft at the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Patuxent_River (NATC).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider#cite_note-Swan_Navy_p176-4 In December 1946, after a designation change to AD-1, delivery of the first production aircraft to a fleet squadron was made to VA-19Ay the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTV_A-7_Corsair_II en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swept_wing subsonic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_aircraft in the early 1970s.