Airbus insists flight testing of the first A400M will still take place in the summer, but the engine will likely not have been certified at that point.

Flight testing of the TP400 engine has slipped a few weeks to rebuild parts. But that shouldn't significantly slip the first flight of the A400M airlifter in July or shortly after, although it does mean engine certification will not be in hand, says Airbus Executive Vice President for programs, Tom Williams.

The A400M team also is still working on getting the engine's full authority digital flight control software into shape. That should now happen basically in line with the summer flight test plan. A major software drop is planned for March, just before a modified C-130 should be flying with the TP400.

Engine trials have accumulated 600 hours, far less than the 1,500 that developers would like to have had in hand by now. However, Williams points out tests on two engines delivered in November and December are promising, and that engine run time on those has been good.

EADS last year had to slip A400M service entry six months into 2010, with another six months considered a risk period.