I guess you missed the snark with the WWI planes - those are the sort of planes which Gates & Co would like - cheap to make. But really the high-tech stuff on the Flankers et al would not see the Spads, and not be able to slow down enough to shoot. So Forward to the Past!
It would be idiotic to take a Spad for a dogfight against a Flanker. It has a thirteenfold speed advantage and carries heavy armament versus twin MGs.
Even an attack helo wouldn’t slug it out against a fast mover.