Aw man ... if you're gonna quote me, then you could at least try to quote correctly I didn't say it looks nothing like the full scale, I said that it "less like the full-scale that it's supposed to represent than the World Models T34 looks like a genuine T34 (which is kinda hard to do). "

Take a look at the pics you yourself posted. Look carefully at the wing planform, the wingtip shape, the shape of the whole of the front end of the fuselage, the curves on the full-size where the model has straight lines, the gear placement relative to the fuselage sides, look at the size of the control surfaces on the model vs those on the full-scale,etc., etc.

Now, at this point you may think I'm tyring to trash your model - well, I'm not - what I'm trying to get across is this: warnings about the flight characteristics of scale models being unsuitable for beginners can be very valid - using the full-scale aircraft's airfoil, planform, coupling ratios, gear positions, control surface sizes and locations, etc on the model can all result in characteristics that make the model unsuitable for less inexperienced RC pilots. Manufacturers are aware of that, and they are aware of the fact that many people who buy kits really aren't actually interested in having a scale model - they're quite happy with a model that bears some resemblance to the aircraft it's modelled after, but which has been significantly altered to make the kit / ARF easier to fly (and assemble). Consequently, they frequently do things like moving the gear further apart to provide better ground handling, changing the airfoil and planform to give more docile and predictable handling (e.g reducing tip-stall tendencies, etc), stretching coupling ratios to provide greater stability, increasing or decreasing control surface areas to get the desired control responsiveness, etc., etc. The end result is (or at least, is supposed to be), a model which appeals to its audience because it has a resemblance to the full-scale model, but which doesn't have the potentially unfavorable characteristics that a scale model would have... and which coincidentally is easier and cheaper to manufacture than a scale model would be.

At this point I guess we could argue about exactly what constitutes "scale". One of my buddies has a foamy profile model - a slab of 1/4" thick foam from which the rough outline of a P51 has been cut. From the well-known outline it is clear that this is patterned after a P51. Is it a "scale" model ?

Good luck with your new toy.

Gordon