I've never flown the P-51, but from all accounts they tend to be a handful for beginners. Most people get a warbird as a 3rd or 4th model. Simulator time is great for providing practice but there is no substitute for actual stick time. Believe me, it's a lot different when you risk crashing a model in which you have invested numerous hours and several hundred dollars than when you crash a simulator model. At the top of this forum is a sticky about getting started in RC. You might want to look through the list of first and second airplane recommendations and see if there is something that appeals to you. If you don't already have an instructor, I recommend that you get one. He can help you avoid a lot of the first timer mistakes that result in frustration and crashed models.
Good luck