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The trouble stricken Airbus A400 is said to be on the verge of its first flight after many months of delays. Most of these delays have been sheeted home to the engines which were virtually a clean sheet design but in reality they were a result of a very aggressive development plan and the very ambitious performance specifications. This must have been very embarrasing after the A380 debacle but their major competitor Boeing has been prevented from crowing because of the delays the initially much vaunted Dreamliner has suffered. The A400 delays have been very expensive and have lead to the project appearing frequently on the verge of being cancelled. There have certainly been very expensive consequences and losses, with the number of orders being cut and some even cancelled entirely.

If the new development schedule can be met it may still be that the aircraft will attract a wide market and come to be a mainstay of Military airlift.

The A400 is intended to carry up to nearly 40,000 kg 1800nm, cruise at up to 400 kts and take off from unprepared fields under 1000 m. It is planned to have a ferry range of 5000nm. Wow.

Airbus has said its long-delayed A400M military transport aircraft should be ready to make its first test flight around the 7th December.

The A400M, designed to replace ageing military cargo carriers, has been on order by several European air forces for many years, however, a series of technical problems has created delays.

The aircraft was due to enter service with air forces this year, but the date has now been put back to 2013.

French and German officials have already told Airbus it only has until the end of the year to prove that the project remains viable.

Earlier this month, South Africa cancelled a multi-billion dollar contract for the planes.