My $.02
Well I can tell you from experience that those of you currently running AH2 with FPS issues will not be able to play once the update comes out. I have a smoking system that I built to play AH2 and I've never gone below 59 FPS, I have a top of the line video card with 800 megs. Currently in beta I'm getting 15 to 17 FPS, I feel like back when AH2 was first released. I'd post a couple screenshots for you but the current filmviewer in AH2 will not run the beta films. The difference between the current game and beta as far as visually the jagged lines are still there just much smaller so it looks better but kills your frame rates tremendously.
Il-16, Brewster... hanger queens, after you get whacked a dozen or so times by a P-40B you'll never touch those pigs again. Full fuel and no drop tanks the Il-16 has 15 minutes, the Brewster 41 minutes.
O.k. personally I don't play AH2 for the stellar graphics, its more of a social outing with friends. I'd recomend updating current planes and filling in the gaps in plane sets would have been time well spent compared to what I'm playing on beta. I predict barren skies just like when AH2 was released when the next update comes.