I never had problems with my original IL2 either. Infact, from my personal experience, I'd say that IL2 is one of the most bug free out-of-the-box-games I ever had.
The only really bad thing that comes to my mind is the manual setup of IPs.
But I still miss the touchy P39 in the original IL2 and of course the whistling sound of the 109, especially in times of excellent sound-alternatives for most other aircraft.
(Helping PMs welcome)