RE: progression from trainer to low wing
I flew a $99 Phoenix Dolphin from Tower Hobbies for my first low wing plane. At first it felt pretty fast and nimble, but soon became to feel like the trainer that it really was. Point is that I needed that stepping stone in my progression. Warbirds have natural bad tendencies (of course some are better than others) so it is best to be proficient with a low wing sport plane first.