GI Joe Ghoststriker, Gundam panel lining and weathering markers, Cobrastickers Skystriker homage stickers, custom wing and hawk head decals, rubber black Tamiya spray paint for the missiles

Rather than customise the Ghoststriker into a straight up Skystriker homage, I went with visual cues from the USAF Thunderbirds - hence the striping that runs along the wing tips, as well as the custom wing decals (which are actually on the bottom rather than the top of the jet wings in real life).

Having acquired the ERTL Force One F-15 Strike Eagle, I always thought of the Ghoststriker as its wingmate, and so the slightly heavier weathering and Calico Jack tail decal from my F-15 EagleStriker custom is mirrored in this Ghoststriker custom, whilst the use of the smoky paint on the EagleStriker canopy is intended to mirror the Ghoststriker's darker canopy. The wing decals of the two jets are of course intended to mirror each other.

It wasn't until I read about the USAF Hi-Lo strategy that I realised the F-15 and the F-16 are a real life pairing!

"Applying force multiplier theory, GI Joe adopted the High-Low strategy, where the more expensive but more capable air superiority F-15 derivative Eagle-Strikers would be deployed by GI Joe alongside the cheaper and simpler F-16 derivative GhostStrikers in their surface attack role.

A similar strategy would be adopted for carrier-based GI Joe operations by deploying the cheaper F/A 18 Hornet-derivatives with lower range and speed for surface attack alongside the more expensive Tomcat-derivative Skystrikers in their air superiority role."