No, it was not an option with the new pilots as Barnesy released them. I had to open the msh files and re-write a line into it so it is now possible. I don't know why Barnesy released them like that. Wolfighter made them so different MAT files could applied. In fact this is how I started to work on pilots, because I was so much annoyed about that.
Reworking so many meshes it was an easy but SO MUCH consuming task. I remember it took me 5 days of summer vacation working 4-5 hours a day to convert everything. Please check here for more.
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=26438.0 I never tried to do any skinning. I started do modding more out of pressure of making everything working right in my installation, and what I do usually is working on hier and msh files. Not much beyond. I am a bit more known as a BETA tester, trying new FMs. I did also a re-make campaign that is released on M4T,
http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads3&file=details&id=1069and believe me, doing campaigns if you are serious a terrible consuming task, for finding the right units, testing etc & reworking, it took me more than three months! I wish I had more time to learn to do more thingw. I hope that this day will come. But I have to live a real life and at times there's really no time not even to go and have a look at SAS (or any other modding site) for installing new planes even lesser, for 'flying' almost impossible.
As it is now, I have to wait until the big brother improves his P-47s, so let's see after that point. I have now so pressure from work that the release should be in around a month, so late I am afraid.