So... i ended up installing a .46TTPro engine that i found on sale. I put a 11x6 prop and that plane will climb straight up until it's spec in the sky. I am going to get a 10x5 so it doesn't pull it through the air so fast but basically i find that just over idle it will just cruise along without gain altitude. i shimmed the trailing edge a little bit and that seemed to help some... but really all the things i tried didn't really make a huge different in it's flight. it is just the way it is designed to fly so you have to go easy on it really. i've done about trips out to the field now and am really enjoying this old classic plane. You have to see how easy this plane is to land.... you can fly till it's out of gas and cruise in without any problems. nice and slow and very predictable!