Dick,

I think your conclusions from practical experience are just about right on. Lower weight is definitely the big win from every angle. Thin wings are definitely lower drag at low AoA, and low AoA is the rule at high speed. I don't know that thin wings are generally considered to generate higher lift, but high lift is not an issue. You make an interesting point about RN & chord. Do you happen to know the typical straight-away speed of these planes? I'm curious about the chord-based RN range.

Thanks,

banktoturn