Arma 3 is suffering heavily in some areas of quality that really break you out of that simulation feel. One of the biggest ones (to me) isn't just vehicle explosions in general, but plane crashes looking incredibly outdated (almost to the point where it looks like a 2004 console game) I fear that because this is such a specific thing to polish it makes it much easier to avoid polishing it. But its 2013 and games are starting to really become beautiful and I don't want to see Arma suffer, especially where it counts (Explosions and crashes are a huge part of combat)
Don't know what I mean? Take a look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1POiAn8EC4
I've recommended a simple way to create the illusion of a jet actually crumpling up and disintegrating into the ground here:
In that thread is also more information about the issue with the current crashes.
The suggestion is predicted to also improve performance because a giant explosion is actually masking the deletion of the jet model, and being replaced with scrap metal rather than a big black jet body. {F21351} {F21352} {F21353}