gjeffers, I used carbon fiber pushrods from Central Hobbies also. I really like them. They do make a difference. The only tip I can think of that you may not know about is on the CA hinges. I add one extra hinge per side on the ailerons. I mount it just outside the first hinge from the fuse. For some reason the inner most hinge seems to break more often than I like. When I mount the extra hinge, problem gone. Also, a little known help with CA hinges is to mark the center line on both sides with a crayon. This helps keep the hing point plyable as it doesn't allow the CA glue to adhere right on the crayon mark. Also, only use a maximum of 3-4 drops of CA glue per hinge per side. I know, I know...it's hard to use this little of glue. The manual says 6 drops but that is too many and can make the hinge brittle. I only use 3 drops. It is enough and helps keep the hinge more plyable and less breakage problems. One other thing, I use a 1/4" balsa strip on the inside of fuse to reinforce the landing gear area. I use 30 minute epoxy to glue it in and just beef up that area a little bit. If you do it on the initial build it will save your gear on a rough landing. Two more items and I'll stop. (sorry) I add a couple of thin balsa plates to the belly pan and remove the covering on the wing to alow more glue surface area when attaching the belly pan to the wing. And finally, I cut away the entire bottom of the cowl to match the natural tunnel in the fuse. This allows excellent air flow to keep the engine cool. It doesn't look as bad as it sounds and it really helps with performance and makes the engine so much easier to tune because the temp stays down.
Thanks,
Barry