The makers of the Centaur amphibian aircraft – Warrior (Aero-Marine) – say the fuselage of

the prototype Centaur has been moved to its assembly hangar at Sanford Airport, Maine, where the powerplant assembly and other systems are being prepared.

“This is a long-awaited milestone and a welcome action,” said managing director James Labouchere. He added: “In respect of getting the prototype flying, we had certainly hoped to be further on by now. Though some earlier estimates from subcontractors were over-optimistic, we believe we have been very successful at securing our future.

Labouchere says the company has been generating discussions for major finance and partnering,

and that these are looking increasingly promising.

He said: “As ever, we must raise further short-term funds so that we can maintain progress.”