Hi there,
I know I didn't see the finished game, and maybe this was already suggested by the time, but :
when I played Xenonauts, I was surprised there is no option to replace a missile by a fuel drop tank, in order to increase the range of airfighters... A lot of disadvantages could be added (lower max speed, less efficient roll manoeuver, increased vulnerability to small round) but maybe it would be worth it in comparison to the bonus in operation range. In this regards, aerial refuelling could be an option, but I think it is too complicated...
Moreover, I think any time an airplane is repaired, its maximum life should be decreased by 1%. So the "perfect" dogfight would be always a challenge, and it is reasonnable to admit that a "pristine" aircraft is always better than one that have been repaired 60 times...