[8FS_Bulau]

Does this mean that the exe installer for each plane does NOT make these entries in the various ini files and they need to be made manually?
If so where on earth do you find the information needed to make these entries?

As has been said, planes with .exe installer will make the entries for you, but others won't. Instructions for installing the planes can be found in the forum thread where you downloaded the plane. For example, you said you installed the F9 Panther. That aircraft does NOT come with a .exe installer. Here are the instructions cut and pasted from the F9 Panther download thread:

INSTALATION

AIRCRAFT:

1) Copy "F9F2 Panther" folder to MODS folder.
2) Add F9F2_Panther air.F9F2 1 NOINFO usa01 SUMMER to the air.ini file.
3) Run A/C Installer (see link above).
4) Fly

FOR THE SHAKING NAPALM TANKS

1) Open Shaking_Napalm_Tank folder.
2) Copy files 56C740E69B785720 and 3753BF9E197ED03E files and paste them on your MODS\F9F2 Panther folder.

FOR THE NORMAL NAPALM TANKS

1) Open Normal_Napalm_Tank folder.
2) Copy files 56C740E69B785720 and 3753BF9E197ED03E files and paste them on your MODS\F9F2 Panther folder.


NOTE1: Know how to do the manual Installation is the first step to do a mod.

Notice that it gives you the line to add to the air.ini (I highlighted that part in orange)
On the other hand, the SpitMk.I, for example, DOES come with a .exe installer, so there is no mentione there of what to add to the air.ini.

You will have to go back to the download thread for each plane you installed, and find the install instructions for each one.