David Lednicer wrote:

The canard usually has a much smaller span than the main wing. Subtract
its elliptical load from the overall elliptical sum and you end up with
a really wierd load distribution on the aft wing.

Your mistake is your false premise that an "overall elliptical sum" is
either necessary for efficiency or desirable in such canard aircraft.
But let's put aside your curious CFD-based musings for the moment and
instead look to the real-world. The simple fact is that the
normalized cruise and range performance of homebuilt canard aircraft
vs. non-canard aircraft belie your claim of substantial inherent drag
inefficiencies. As one poster correctly noted, the theoretical drag
differences between the two types are so small that it is execution
that accounts for any realized performance difference.

Canard aircraft hold several FAI recognized world records in altitude,
speed, and range. A canard holds the CAFE Challenge efficiency record
and will likely have a lock on it for years to come. Canards have
been flown to numerous first-place race wins and high race placings in
competitions against non-canard designs. Here are the placings from
just one such race, http://www.AirplaneZone.com/race.html

David O --- http://www.AirplaneZone.com