I have posted this on the 'Aviation History and Nostalgia' section but, with the permission of the Mods, am copying it here because I think there is a lot of good technical information too. (Mods, if you think it better in the 'Flight Testing' section please feel free to move it as you think fit.)
Anyone interested in aircraft handling qualities will really enjoy listening to these podcasts. The Royal Aeronautical Society has made available a number of extended interviews with influential aviation people, and the first ones I have listened to are with D. P. Davies, the ARB/CAA certification test pilot. If you have ever met him you will know he calls a spade a spade! His views are direct to say the least.
The first podcast covers his career during WW2 as a Royal Navy Pilot.
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...ing-the-1940s/
The second covers his experiences during the certification of a number of types during which he recounts some very interesting experiences and observations on several aircraft; the HP Hermes, the Vickers Viscount (including two inadvertent spins), the Britannia (another spin during stall testing), the Brabazon (during which he enjoyed a sit-down lunch during a test flight), arguments with chief designers about correcting handling deficiencies (elevator feel and wing leading edge shape on the Comet 1, and directional control on the 707). He recounts all these issues in his typical forthright manner.
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...nnia-brabazon/
The third starts with the 747 which vastly impressed him (but listen to his comments on the clean stall buffet which I can vouch for), then he describes the various T-tail aircraft (Trident, VC10, BAC 1-11, DC-9 and 727) and the deep stall. Finally he finishes with a very robust view on management responsibility (which I also agree with).
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...he-boeing-727/
The fourth and final podcast covers Concorde and the British V-bombers. He is critical of various aspects of the V-bombers but is full of praise for Concorde.
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/aud...the-v-bombers/