Maybe this means they plan to have some part of the engine working? Not the whole thing I'm sure though, it sounds like they're still too early for that.
The igniters maybe. I too observed the reduced intensity of the 'test' flame on the firewall material and wondered who they were trying to fool. So the plan is to have a running turbine by the end of this year? What are the long lead items? Housing castings would seem to be one, so I wonder how that is going; maybe Dr. Hill can elucidate.