A study of the factors affecting the maximum lift-drag ratio has been conducted in an effort to determine how to obtain high aerodynamic values at high supersonic Mach numbers.
Summary: The problem of designing an aircraft which will develop high lift-drag ratios in flight at high supersonic speeds is attacked using the elementary principle that the components of the aircraft should be individually and collectively arranged to impart the maximum downward and the minimum forward momentum to the surrounding air. This principle in conjunction with other practical considerations of hypersonic flight leads to the study of configurations for which the body is situated entirely below the wing; that is, flat-top wing-body combinations. Theory indicates that sensibly complete aircraft of this type can be designed to develop lift-drag ratios well in excess of 6.