Thanks for the suggestion on the gear fix. I have also been trying to think of a way to put different gear on mine - possiby just a wire gear. Since the gear is so soft, one problem I have had is banging the prop on landings - which has led to breaking the motor mount stick several times. The only possible problem I see with your fix is that you still have the soft aluminum at the ends. While the carbon rods will certainly be strong, the aluminum piece at the end may still want to bend.