RE: Measuring Total Plane Drag
Yes, it is a tough one!
Drag is a force that depends on the projected area, the air density, the air velocity, and also a coefficient of drag.
You have improved the area and that coefficient.
In order to measure the improvement, you need to know the value of a drag force that has been measured before, and under the very same conditions of air velocity and lift (AOA), which is a major contributor to the coefficient of drag.