I must leap to the defence of the Beverley!!
I accept it would never be top of a list of the best aircraft but it performed well in what it was asked to do, particularly in Borneo and such places. During the Brunei Revolt a Beverley made an opposed landing and disgorged a company of infantry straight into a fire fight and then took off using the remaining length of the strip. The troops had flown in from Labuan standing up in the lower hold and only secured by some rope across the ramp, as the clam shell doors had been taken off.
The story of how one staggered into the air some 7000 lbs over its gross AUW at Labuan and then was forced to fly all the way around the north Sabah coast ‘cause it couldn’t climb over the hills, I shall keep for another day – suffice to say never trust the weight of the freight the army are giving you!!
Old Duffer