Shuttle fleet 4.8 is a legendary add-on and that should have been taken into account.........
Keep in mind, Orbiter is a spaceflight simulator, not an addon simulator. Martins has no obligation to include code in the core to support a specific addon or series of addons. He gives us the API and the SDK as a courtesy. It's up to us whether or not we keep up with the changing times.
For me personally, I will not be re-compiling the Cortez for 2016 as I honestly have no time or interest in it at this specific point. It was the possibility of this happening that led me to include the source code in the download so others could make changes should they so choose.
Those of us who have created addons, however simple or complex, do so in our free time, free of charge. Sure, we invite criticism and complaints when we do so, but honestly, we're not obligated to respond to any of it. That sounds pretentious, and maybe it is, but thankfully most of us are kind enough to take the feedback and make the requested changes or fixes, time and real-life permitting.