European aviation company Airbus has, on Tuesday, been able to announce some good news regarding its troubled A400M military transport aircraft programme.

The head of the A400M programme, and Airbus Military senior vice-president, Rafael Tentor, has told journalists in Getafe (near Madrid), Spain, that he is confident that the company will very soon be able to accept flightworthy software for the full authority digital engine control (Fadec) system for the A400M’s engines, reports UK journal Flight International.

“We are accepting the final software release this week,” he said. “We are on track for static engine ground runs by mid-November.”

Besides the Fadec software, all other A400M systems have been tested and are ready for flight. As for the Fadec software, he assured that “we have just a handful of issues needing correction before first flight.”

Each A400M will be powered by four Europrop International TP400 turboprop engines, and problems in the development of the Fadec software for these have played a significant role in delaying the A400M programme.

“We are now increasingly confident that we will perform the first [A400M] flight by the end of this year,” Tentor reported.

The TP400 engine has been test flown on a Lockheed Martin C-130K Hercules transport, modified to act as an engine test bed. This aircraft, Tentor revealed, is scheduled to make two more test flights next week, and thereafter will “definitely be grounded”.

South Africa is a risk-sharing partner in the A400M programme, having ordered eight of the aircraft, and the delays have affected local companies, as well as the South African National Defence Force. The South African companies involved in the programme are Denel Saab Aerostructures, Aerosud (both risk-sharing partners), Grintek and Omniples, with Armscor providing engineering services.

The South African companies involved in the A400M programme each have their own areas of responsibility, for the design and manufacture of specific structures and components for all A400Ms, not just those destined for this country.

A total of 192 A400Ms are on order by nine countries.

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