Maybe, but Zeta and Omega Leaders are 47 kitted out. Two of those are 48. I'm not sure which I'd rather have until I've playtested that pair of TAPs first, but for now, I'd err on the side of the /fo for that cost. Especially considering the PS2 with Prockets and chips is 20.
Depends what you're facing. In the age of TLTs, I'd FAR rather have some guys with Autothrusters, all else being equal.
It's not just the thrusters. At with 1-banks and green 1s, the TAP can slow down enough to stay on a TLT carrier where the FO will simply zoom past.
The most common TLT carriers (outside of the stresshog) seem to be scum y-wings with unhinged, doing 3-speed maneuvers and kiting as opposed to slow-rolling. Where fast ships are more likely to catch up and get into the donut hole than slow ships are to keep in it.