ORIGINAL: pimmnz
Of course the other way to make this thing go faster is to increase the span. Longer wing equals higher aspect ratio, which means less drag, and lowering the wing loading means that you can fly at a lower angle of attack, again less drag. And the most efficient way of going faster is to reduce drag, increasing power is a poor way of going faster, ideally you need to do both for maximum gain.
Evan, WB #12.
Are you trying to say that clipped-wing Cubs fly slower than the regular version?
At high speeds, all wings operate at a very low angle of attack to provide the needed lift. This means that induced drag is low at high air speeds regardless of aspect ratio. What is the aspect ratio of a SR-71 wing anyway?
At high speeds, parasitic drag from the fusilage, engine cooling, and wing wetted area is the biggie.