If you are looking for a mod that focuses specifically on the persistence and color of smoke, Taz’s work is legendary. This mod adjusts the transparency and density of smoke plumes so they don't simply "vanish" after a few seconds.
A common concern with "DCS explosion mod top" searches is performance. High-resolution textures can tax your VRAM. If you are flying in VR, you should prioritize mods that offer "Performance" or "Lite" versions. These versions usually maintain the improved shapes and colors of the explosions while lowering the texture resolution to keep your frame rate stable during intense dogfights. dcs explosion mod top