Actually, if cost is their only reason to why they haven't gotten some realistic sounds, they must be flat broke lol. As for stock IL-2 sounds, that's for pigheaded laymen IMO. I can make stock IL-2 engine sounds myself every single day when I go for my daily morning #2.
I like your thinking fafnir. Can't please us all with one solution and I can't kill each and every "IL-2 purist" either.