If the front comes off the motor, I'm in SERIOUS trouble since the front and main can are all one piece from what I can tell. :) I've taken some very had landings with no trouble so far. Now, if I was running a Feigao, it would be a different story. And I know the mount is very solid because I'm using a hardened steel pinion/spur combo (not in the pic though) and there is very little wear after more than a dozen packs' worth of runtime (~45 min each).
I cannot lay the batteries sideways because they will hit the shell - I tried that, which is why I have the trays hanging over the mudguards. The trays are not even touching the guards though because I'm using a standoff made from nylon bar stock. The picture below helps explain what I mean:
In reality though, the trays are more centered over the spacer - this pic was made early in the design stage...