Shorter icons do not lead to more realism.
Matter of fact last frame my entire squad is orbiting over a task group as defense and an entire SQUADRON of A6M5s appears overhead, popping into icon one at a time then disappears. Could barely see the dots. I'm calling it out, they're like "Where?" I'm shouting repeatedly and only after a long delay of searching does the squad lead see them (right over us, 1k yards) and they fly right over and disappear.
1k is within firing distance.
They popped in, popped out and totally disappeared dots and all. On top of that we had an entire squadron of Ki84s, and entire squadron of Ki61s (hitting the fleet) and throughout all of this none of us saw the other for the longest time.
Completely unrealistic to be all circling and climbing all over each other's flight paths and never running into each other. Actively SEARCHING for the enemy in the same airspace and not seeing them? No thanks. You can take that to the AvA.
I agree with putting full icons in FSO. It's about time this was set. It's always been pushed "shorter, make them shorter! Make them shorter!" but frankly the majority don't want that. Add in lag, add in too many cons in one sector, and you get dots attacking you with no icon until they're wll into guns range.
I've probably got several films of F4Fs diving into my formation of D3As and B5Ns and not showing on icon until 800 yards (AFTER they opened fire). Ludicrous.
Wind at landing alt also is ludicrous. It doesn't work right.