So what happens when these 2 single engine demonstrators get to finally flying (provided FARA funding isn't cut from congressional reaction to the AoA results)?
We know that both were sized on the ragged edge of possibility from an installed-power perspective - Invictus with the SPU and cleaner tandem airframe will likely achieve the 180kt dash. RaiderX sits on a far worse drag standpoint than the slicked S-97, and with the T901 only putting out marginally ~15% more power than the YT706 in addition to a minimum 20% airframe weight gain...one might be inclined to expect suboptimal Vh for S-102 not to mention the historical vibration issues on all X2 designs.
Now the real rub...based upon the "physics busting requirement" public admissions by the US Army, it stands to reason the possibility of a necessary evolution of FARA into a larger twin engine aircraft to achieve any level of actual operability. If this comes to pass, then the 2 demonstrator airframes and any subsequent flyoff with the Army would be pure lame duck action with actual FARA contract submissions having to be paper airplanes with large deviations from the flying hardware. This is all not to mention the almost certain litigation from AVX, Boeing, and Karem since they were ostensibly eliminated before their designs could have incorporated more power and larger airframes. Boeing in particular with their high speed Apache concepts seems especially likely to make a stink.
What a contractual nightmare.