Per HiTec the other day in-game chat he stated that "external views were just for the beta".
I was kinda hopin they would leave them in for the buffs.
My thinking in this is that with gunners all around your plane it would be difficult for you to get snuck up on with them watching every angle.
I suppose you could rely on your gunners to call targets, if they are all going to be human. If otto gunners are ever introduced I think the buffs need the external views.
Granger