There is a valid point to be made about the fundamental difference in sound and smell between a relatively whizzy(!) radial replacing a sedentary castor-oil spewing rotary though I think fears about the relative weakness of modern horses is unfounded; modern engineers have a far sounder handle on what's required than their predecessors ever did.
Think how people would howl if the latest Spitfire build appeared with a PT6 or some kind of geared-down automotive V8.
Horses for courses where possible though I do recognise that for a flying replica rotarys do present massive practical problems.