The point using this quote is well made. I will always remember the way one ace described dogfighting, - Johhnie Johnson I think it was -
He likened it to chasing a pig round a farmyard. Nearly all the time keep the eyes on the pig. The gates, fences, obstruction you dealt with peripherally, apparently.
So, yes - no need nor desire to look at instruments when fighting - positively dangerous I would say.
But, after the "Phew!!" it is nice to see a "realistic, instruments-working cockpit, and for it to be able to be used to fly home or onward. And if the sim can do it, well, fine. However, I would never call a sim, without this level of sophistication, seriously deficient in the hardcore stakes.
Unless you are talking modern jets (F4 etc ) where avionics are essential.
Wings of War, because of the mouse view, and particularly if you have TrackIR, has you chasing round the farmyard, as much if not more than any other sim, and certainly more than any other WW1 sim, including Red Baron..( Caveat - talking about Instant Action here .

That's why I think it will be flown enough to succeed for the next stages of modders ( and hopefully ) a patch to be implemented.