For some constructive criticism, I'd begin by saying you should pay closer attention if you want to emulate the Wing Commander style of spacecraft design. Even if you are veering off with your own creative methods, it would be best to try and achieve the level of detail found in the games.
It will help you become a beter modeller in any case. Attention to detail is important.
And in reply to that question, Privateer 2 was a great game since the day it was released... though I admit the Win95 patch and the bug/feature patch (Buffalo wings anyone?) made it even better.