The hybrid-electric aircraft moves propulsion heating away from traditional locations toward electrical machines, power electronics, wiring, batteries, and controls. It changes thermal management from being aircraft architecture dependent because mass, auxiliary power, aerodynamics, mission phase, and technological maturity interrelate. The specific research question to be answered here concerns the near-term thermal management architecture that remains most tenable when pairs of aircraft data are analyzed using the correct aerodynamic sign with respect to their mission-specific thermal role. A sign-aware mission assessment approach is formulated for three aircraft design examples, namely, STARC-ABL, RVLT, and PEGASUS, with pairs of reference and advanced thermal management measures. The process computes mass, auxiliary power, and aerodynamic indices; preserves the meaning of negative drag effect; and tests sensitivity of architectural recommendation under the transport cruise, vertical lift, and distributed electric loadings. As can be seen from the case data presented, no advanced configuration scores highest for all three criteria. STARC-ABL achieves a reduction in thermal system mass from 197.97 kg to 50.77 kg and drag effect from 14.68 lbf to 4.52 lbf (by 74.35 percent and 69.21 percent, respectively) and a gain in auxiliary power by 55.00 percent. RVLT reduces thermal mass and auxiliary power by 50.15 percent and 63.85 percent, respectively, but reduces the beneficial effect of negative drag contribution by 65.21 percent. PEGASUS increases mass and drag by 28.97 percent and 28.17 percent, respectively, and auxiliary power by 36.36 percent. It can be concluded directly that the recommended near-term primary thermal management architecture is based on pumped liquid loop and ram air heat rejection at the aircraft level. Phase change material, heat pipes, passive spreading, compact sinks, and surface rejection should have a supportive rather than substitute mission-specific role.