Yup, you definitely got a bad one.

There are literally thousands of these in current use. Check out the long-running UCD thread; I believe it has become the longest one ever on this board. This is one popular airplane.

My covering was wrinkled somewhat, and it took a LONG time at high heat to get it back down; especially on the turtle deck. But I stayed with it and eventually got it right.

I'm less than thrilled with the way the wing bolts fit. And the stock tail wheel assembly needs replacing, as it won't survive many rough landings. But other than that, it has been an exemplary model for me.

It has the widest flight envelope of any model I've ever flown.

I dunno if yours is worth salvaging; but it is certainly worth sending back to The Empire for a replacement. Yeah, I know; major PITA. But that's one of the risks of mail order.

I waited several months for a LHS to get some in before buying mine, just for this reason. If anything went bad, it was his problem.

Contact them; they're usually pretty good about working with you.