Whoooa, someone needs a bit of chemspray, getting a little heated there.
And kindly sir, considering you are asking for a more realistic setting for an unrealistic game, no comment regarding real events qualifies as useless, especially when you compare to other comments that are on par (no comment about birds flying in engines, or the ships not even taking off in the first place* edit, ah there was one about the ships not taking off. Bird thing though, gilder made me smile).
As far as an entirely different game, you were the one suggesting taking out and changing features and mechanics. Its a steam punk/diesel punk setting. The genre itself isn't supposed to make realistic sense, that's part of the allure.
I think what you mean is a more "hardcore" version of the game, rather then "realistic". Because if you ask for "realistic" then you shall get what you asked, hence the many comments besides my own as such.