A400 Grizzly

[Biggus]

ACM Sir Stephen Dalton won't be CAS when the A400M finally comes into RAF service........

[Gainesy]

Well he gets my vote, about time someone spoke his mind and to hell with the huggyfluffs.

Now, what was that Teddy Bear in Brideshead called?

[Clockwork Mouse]

How about calling it the A400? Short, catchy and unambiguous. There's even precedent in the RAF, like VC10 for example.

[FJJP]

fallmonk - it's 'their' and not 'there'.

And I still think that Growler is good...

[Mr Angry from Purley]

At Farnborough on Media Day on Monday there was a short annoucement and some champagne spraying over the Grizzly. The name was given by the Test Pilots i believe.

[Low Flier]

Call it Half-Fast.

A worthy successor to the Belslow, only without the 4,500 mile range or the 36 tonne payload or the 5-berth cabin.

[US Herk]

How 'bout the C17's original nickname?

Buddha

It's big, it's fat, it sits around and does nothing, but everyone worships it!

[EODFelix]

Well continuing the strongman theme from ages page past how about Obelix - Asterix's oversized buddy?

[mystic_meg]

Not sure that decision has even been considered never mind made MM

I think that you will find that there are Official Airbus Military A400M stickers/zaps in circulation with the annotation "The Loadmaster" upon them, and possibly publicity posters too - there certainly were some around not that long ago. So, Airbus, what'll it be? Grizzly or Loadmaster, or are we waiting for the next throwaway comment regarding its looks/similarities?

[Blighter Pilot]

How about 'the soon to be cancelled post SDSR'?

[JFZ90]

But Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Britain's top air force officer, delivered a blunt veto from the RAF.

"It's absolutely appalling," he told Reuters.

"It has no provenance, no acceptance and it will enter RAF service with that name over my dead body."

He might not like the name, but there are ways of saying so - and the above is not it. I'm not a great fan of the name for in service use, but I think it kind of works for today, and things like the paw prints across farnborough were witty and clever.

The way he's scorned what is a rather harmless and fun flight test name of Grizzly is IMO "absolutely appalling". Ed S must be mortified. High profile negative PR for a product entering RAF service. Well done. I fear his ego has overriden what little media training he may have had. What a.....

[Thelma Viaduct]

A400 Steve * or Graham after my mate Graham.

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

The C-17 is 'Barney' isn't it?

Well, the C-5 is 'Fred' after all...

[GreenKnight121]

So C-130 is Wilma, A400M is Betty, C-27J is Pebbles, and C-295 is Bam-Bam?

Or is it that C-40 is Wilma, C-130 is Betty, C-27J is Pebbles, and C-2 is Bam-Bam?

[Two's in]

But Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Britain's top air force officer, delivered a blunt veto from the RAF.

"It's absolutely appalling," he told Reuters.

"It has no provenance, no acceptance and it will enter RAF service with that name over my dead body."

Translation - Please don't call me "Ginger"

What an uncirmcumcised penis.

[galaxy flyer]

FA18

Not bad, but never heard it. We did have a guy who looked exactly like a human Barney Rubble and was called that.

GF

[XR219]

So C-130 is Wilma, A400M is Betty, C-27J is Pebbles, and C-295 is Bam-Bam?

I think you'll find this is a Betty:

[LowObservable]

The name Grizzly might be exactly right for the US market after November 2012...

(cue screams from liberal Dems)

[Dengue_Dude]

To be honest, it should be called the latest iteration of BUF,

Big
Ugly
F - use your imagination

Looks like it should have been built by the Russians.

[barnstormer1968]

"Looks like it should have been built by the Russians."

Seeing it in the flesh, I thought exactly the same thing!