Or - There is nothing new under the sun.
In the following interviews with D.P. Davies, Chief Test Pilot for the CAA and author of Handling the Big Jets, he comments on points of apparent relevance to the 737 Max debacle. I have included a few notes I made in case anyone is interested in easily finding sections of the audio that I think may be relevant. I have included a link to the first interview for completeness - I suspect I have not listened to it.
D.P. Davies interviews
My understanding is that D.P. Davies was the Chief Test Pilot for the Air Registration Board which was later incorporated into the UK CAA. He was for many years in this post effectively the final decision maker on whether to award a UK Certificate of Airworthiness or otherwise. It appears he had a few run-ins with the FAA (indirectly - via US manufacturers who came to him waving an FAA Certificate).
Quotes below were transcribed from the audio for my purposes and may not be accurate. Please refer to the original audio for clarification. I make no comment on the content of these audio recordings and I post the notes here in case anyone is interested in listening to the recordings for themselves and for no other purpose.
1.
Description -
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...ing-the-1940s/
Interview 1992
Audio -
https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...-fleet-air-arm
2.
Description -
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...nnia-brabazon/
1992
Audio -
https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...terview-comets
At 3:48 - 4.05
"Elevators overbalanced on the way to the stall."
former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies
(1951)
At 1:28:00 - 1:38:00
"707-336 - leading edge devices
Pitch up at stall
Equivalent level or safety
No aeroplane should be allowed to pitch up into the stall
Compromising a fundamental principle of stability in the requirements"
NOT a continuous quote
3.
Description -
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...he-boeing-727/
1992
Audio -
https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...iew-boeing-747
11:15 -- really should listen from start or recording
first 20mins
747-400 Speed Trim
pre 36min - "stick pusher and stick pusher reliability requirements (low because not needed often)" - looks like my paraphrase.
51:30 "Absolute ... FAA" - A comment on integrity of FAA
727
4.
Description -
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...the-v-bombers/
1992
Audio -
https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...-the-v-bombers
At 37:00
"The FAA lacks courage, political clout, all the American constructors can dominate the FAA for political and economic gain and they do."
Edited to add links to the Audio - The RAeS don't seem to make it that easy and I had forgotten that my RAeS links were not to the audio.
I feel that there might be more use made of these amazing recordings if they were easier to access. There are I think hundreds of them.