From Defense Aerospace

 

Bear Sightings Are Reported At Farnborough as the A400M Receives Its Formal Name

(Source: Airbus: issued July 19, 2010)

 

Airbus Military’s A400M literally put its mark on the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow today as this new airlifter was formally named “Grizzly” during its debut appearance in the UK – which is one of the customer countries for the multi-role aircraft.

 

As part of the naming process, simulated paw prints of a grizzly bear were placed around the show grounds at Farnborough, creating a “buzz” in advance of this afternoon’s A400M planeside naming ceremony.

 

Ed Strongman, Airbus Military’s A400M chief test pilot, said the Grizzly appellation came from flight test crew discussions prior to the aircraft’s maiden flight in December 2009.

 

"Prior to the first takeoff, Didier Ronceray – who is one of our flight test engineers – was looking at the airplane, and said it looks pretty serious from the front…giving the certain physical appearance of a Grizzly bear," Strongman explained. “We then started using the designation as our call sign for radio communications – Grizzly 1, 2 and 3 – for the three aircraft we currently are flying.”

 

Once this designation was adopted as the A400M’s formal name, a dedicated logo was created that incorporates the head of a Grizzly bear in profile. To support the Farnborough Airshow appearance of Airbus Military’s no. 2 prototype aircraft, Airbus launched an advertising campaign with the theme: “Get up close to a Grizzly.”

 

“A grizzly is something that you don't mess with,” Strongman concluded. “If you're friendly with it, it will be friendly with you. But mess with it…and that’s another story."

 

CV32: Two points arising ... First, they said they wouldn't call it that. Secondly, Strongman clearly has no knowledge of or experience with grizzlies.

“A grizzly is something that you don't mess with,” Strongman concluded. “If you're friendly with it, it will be friendly with you. But mess with it…and that’s another story."

 

CV32: Two points arising ... First, they said they wouldn't call it that. Secondly, Strongman clearly has no knowledge of or experience with grizzlies.

Yes, it's not a good name for me, not match very much to a transport plane, perhaps for a very hypotetical gunship variant ... this strange name not sembles a good omen.

I like more some descriptive name as Heracles (Greek name of Hercules, hehehe, and also for the Handley Page H.P.42 Heracles), Loadmaster, Eurocarrier, Kangaroo, Marsupiale II (as the Savoia-Marchetti SM.82), Gigant II (as the Me-323), Elephant or Olifant (yes, I known is the name of a South African variant of the MBT Centurion) or similar.

 

Also, grizzly it's not a easy or popular word in Europe (at least in Spain, there's not a spanish equivalent word to Grizzly and Grizzly is not of easy pronunciation in spanish, and in Spain are other bear species, Eurasian Brown Bear/Oso Pardo Iberico/Ursus Arctos Pyrenaicus/).

And I see the taxonomic name of Grizzly is .... Ursus Arctos Horribilis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_Bear

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_Man

Grizzly Man is a 2005 American documentary film by German director Werner Herzog. It chronicles the life and death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. The film consists of Treadwell's own footage of his interactions with grizzly bears before he and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by a bear in 2003 ..... Herzog also narrates, and offers his own interpretations of the events. In his narration, he depicts Treadwell as a disturbed man who may have had a death wish toward the end of his life, but does not condemn him for this ..... The DVD release of the film is missing an interview with Treadwell by David Letterman that was shown in the original theatrical release, where Letterman jokes that Treadwell will eventually be eaten by a bear. However, the versions televised on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet both retain this scene.

 

http://www.faunaiberica.org/?page=oso-pardo-iberico

I recall that much more "European" names like Atlas or Titan were being put forward, at least in unofficial circles, and I think either of those would have been appropriate.

I recall that much more "European" names like Atlas or Titan were being put forward, at least in unofficial circles, and I think either of those would have been appropriate.

Yep, can't help but think that if the 'Grizzly' name has come from the test pilots there's something they aren't telling.

To me 'grizzly' is more like a very chewy piece of steak that you end up spitting out (if the eating companions allow).

I have an Italian motorbike, the model name is 'Elefant' which I think is cute (as we spell it 'elephant') and I think that would be better than Grizzly.

Don

Perhaps it's a reflection on how long it's taking to get the bird into service --- the bright-eyed young pups who started the project are all grizzled old vets now ...

To me 'grizzly' is more like a very chewy piece of steak that you end up spitting out (if the eating companions allow).

 

Gristle?

 

Perhaps it's a reflection on how long it's taking to get the bird into service --- the bright-eyed young pups who started the project are all grizzled old vets now ...

 

That's certainly possible. Someone at the Ares Blog had made the comment that maybe they should have used the name of the bear from Jungle Book - Baloo! Why they picked 'grizzly' remains a puzzle to me. There aren't even any grizzly bears (ursus arctos horribilis) in Europe, unless this is part of the plan to start marketing in North America.

And the winner is ... Brad:

I recall that much more "European" names like Atlas or Titan were being put forward, at least in unofficial circles, and I think either of those would have been appropriate.

Name changed from Grizzly to the more adecuate Atlas (I think also now in the old realiable Nord Noratlas):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A400M_Atlas

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/...s-atlas-373861/