PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Sikorsky Raider X - FARA contender
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Old 28th Oct 2023, 13:22
  #120 (permalink)  
Tango and Cash
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 160
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Invictus seems like a conventional, "safer" alternative, something that will more or less perform as advertised
Raider X seems to be a riskier approach with lots of unknowns, and the previous iterations starting with X2 have not performed as advertised, but potentially better performance if it works
A lot comes down to what the Army wants these aircraft to do, and it appears to this observer that the Army isn't sure what they want until they see what the aircraft can do
Budget probably favors Invictus (or nothing) (like others, I don't see how Raider X can be cheaper to procure and maintain than a more conventional helicopter design)
Politics probably favors Sikorsky (since Bell won FLRAA with Valor)

Withholding further judgment until the things have actually flown...
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