Yes, of course; if it works full-size it will indeed work on the model - except that you can't scale down either tolerances or physics, and our usual model tolerances, using commercial products, are way, way over scale.
Sid Stubbs of blessed memory could do it, and many others have done it as well, so it's not impossible, and I never said it was; but in my bodging experience, it can be tricky, and I like to keep things easy because I get more done that way.