ORIGINAL: LDM

Pete , I think based on your plastic model experience you will have difficulty in the arf area and the even the scale area . Please dont be insulted in my comments but I learned early on that RC planes need to fly . Two critical issues, when it comes to warbirds many arfs have been designed to have lighter wing loads and less scale airfoils but will perform much better then the scale version resulting in a more tame warbird , happier RC pilot who buys more and possibly advances to more difficult warbirds -H9 planes are great examples(please dont go to the tail are aof H9 as being a better flying surfuce but overall desing is my point).
Point two , I would say we are in wave three of the ARfs with a possible evolutiuon of a total of 5 . One -was arc , with many issues limited offer , mostly trainers , or foam covered warbirds that look like cartoons . Two more varities , still a ton of trainers , some sport planes , 40% of the interior build still needed . Now wave three - big jump , People like Vq with hindged flying surfaces , rivits , thick airfoils , even H9 with more great flying warbirds , Top Flight , Skyshark ect . Most of these companies went for flying excellance first , scale accuracy second with Quality mixed in at 1/2 . They offer great planes , great value and there getting more warbirds out of the flight line then Boeing . I am very excited about the progression and hope it continues because with every offering its just gets better to earn the RCers money .

My last two points , there is a ton of "closet scale builders [X(]out there including me , just dont have the time bu these ARF allow us to tweek as many things as we choose , its the fun part .
Lastly if you have a hang up with the accuracy of scale especailly because of the accuracy offered in plastic, you should really try to build a kid or a semi kit . Trust me its the only thing that is going to satisfy you because unless you are willing to dish out $700 or more for a yellow kit you not going to find exact scale under that price , but in reality only you have to be happy in the end . Dave Platt said " dont always worry about it looking scale if it looks good "