So, went to the LHS over lunch and found a HobbyZone 4.8V 600mah NIMH battery that is used in the Firebird series - $13.99. It weighs 2.1 oz. That should help things a bit. I think I will also swap out the throttle servo(currently a mini servo) for a micro servo and I should lose a bit more. Just like me, the plane needs to go on a diet.....