Target visibility

[pupaxx]

guys,
your disquisition is cleverly conducted with high technical competence, you have my cheering and regard,..but my question is...would be relistic in CloD and contemporary flight sims reproduce a convincing target spotting considering that a contact, spotted 5 miles away, (considering at the common resolutions we actually play) is rendered by no more than 4-5 pixels?
I mean, if you consider 4-5 pixels (but even with 15-20) with all the permutations they can be arranged in and color gradients they can assume, can be possible differentiate a me109 from a spit or mustang or F16; and reproduce all of them in all brightness conditions? I think the res is the limit.
Cheers