Mandarin Slang Prompts Gulfstream To Rename Aircraft

Gulfstream Aerospace has re-designated the super-midsize G250 as the G280. When spoken, the numbers 2-5 in Mandarin Chinese resemble a slang term that has been variously reported as meaning "easy to go bankrupt," or "stupid." In Cantonese the numbers 2-5-0 sound a lot like "not effective." Though Gulfstream would not confirm that this is the exact reason for the name change, it did state that the move was prompted by the company's sensitivity to the varied cultures of its growing international customer base.