If one was to consider general aviation aircraft that have less than desirable handling qualities, one need look no further then the one I personally own, the Cessna 411.
It was the first of the cabin-class twin Cessna aircraft, and its rather small vertical stabilizer/rudder renders the aeroplane difficult to fly with one engine unserviceable.
Certainly not impossible, just difficult.
However, IF the aeroplane is flown properly, at the speeds recommended by the manufacturer, it flies very well indeed, and is certainly a fast cruiser that will haul eight folks in style.
As it was introduced in the mid-sixties, and was expensive to buy, it of course was purchased by rather a large number of inexperienced pilots (doctors, attornies etc) who, by their very nature, were not used to being told how to fly by the numbers, and it crashed with regularity.
The MU-2 can be added to the same category.
Inexpensive to purchase now, it is many times flown by pilots who just 'don't want to know', with the usual predictable results.
Combine a fast clean aeroplane with spoilers for lateral control (no ailerons), it flies fine, IF done by the numbers recommended.
And now finally, transport jets.
The early ones were sometimes problamatic, and in particular, the early models of the B707 fall into this category.
My first assignment in these airplanes was in command of one particular model, the B707-321 and -331.
More or less identical except for their air conditioning systems, they suffered from divergant dutch roll tendancies, which was not helped by the fact that the yaw damper absolutely had to be switched OFF for takeoff and landing, which is just where it was needed the most.
Flying an approach in gusty crosswind conditions was akin to being on a roller-coaster, that had jumped the tracks...a rockin' and a rollin' all the way down final.
Combine this with straight-pipe engines that seemed to take forever to spool up, and quite frankly, I'm surprised more didn't crash.
Oddly enough, the early B707's and the Cessna 411 are identical in one respect...with an engine out (outboard engine in the B707's case) just after takeoff, requires a 145 pound push on the rudder, just to keep it straight.
It ain't easy.
