Physical analogues occupy exactly the same epistemological status as numerical models. Before computers were used, scientists used to build physical analogues.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_B... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i70wkxmumAw
Here are some cool analog computers: http://www.analogmuseum.org/english/impressions/
You can quantify the full uncertainty in both scale/analogue models and numerical models. In my experience the full uncertainty is much more often quantified in scale and analogue models than numerical models, by the way.
Analogous to numerical error, if the systems under study differ slightly you can quantify the error introduced from the "distortion" as it is often called in the literature.