I have never liked the aesthetics of a stick pack on a saddle pack chassis. This goes back to the 90's, when I saw an HPI Pro 2 with a saddle pack, next to an identical chassis with a stick. There are some nice looking LiPo saddle packs on the market, which look much more ergonomic on a chassis like this - especially when nicely taped and wired.
That's just some food for thought. Great to see your enthusiasm in this project!