It's a good idea, but where's the motivation for Newbies?
That's why I like the Chog price, it's not quite free, but it's set low enough that a newbie has a realistic chance of getting one in his first month and thereby achieving a feeling of success.
That feeling of success is the most important addictive factor to this game, along with the percieved values of glory and shame.
I do think it's a good idea, but I also think we'd need a wider plane set first. Which would be the null perk buff? the null perk G.V., the null perk carrier fighter?
Can you really perk the Spit before the Hurri is available, can you perk the Macci until the fiat is available, etc. etc.
I'd also like to see some way of tying perks into Squads, some way of rewarding that indefinable difference between a bunch of good sticks having fun together, (such as the MOL) and a Squad that really works on it's tactics and functions together as a squad, such as that 'Stang squad used to (13 TAS?). You always knew it was them, they were identifiable, and that should be rewarded.