Seems to be a very well handling airplane, from the description of this test flight.
I flew the maneuver completely on the autopilot.
On the initial pitchover, the rate of descent increased to 9,600 feet per minute at 7½ degrees nose down
http://cf.alpa.org/internet/alp/2001/feb01p22.htm
I would rate the brakes on this airplane as excellent. We taxied with a zero fuel weight of 235,400 pounds with 65,100 pounds of fuel, for a gross weight of 300,500 pounds. This is considerably less than the max gross takeoff weight of 450,000 pounds. At this comparatively light weight, you would expect the brakes to be a bit sensitive. Instead, they were smooth and symmetric. Precise steering and excellent brakes made taxiing in tight quarters an accurately controlled nonevent.
We planned the takeoff for flaps 15, with V speeds of 129/136/146. After we initially set power for takeoff, autothrust brought the thrust up to 109.7 percent N1. Capt. Nelson briefed that the nose would feel light on takeoff, but I couldn’t keep my "Douglas hands" from making a segmented rotation.
We stabilized in the climb at V2+15 and began cleanup at 1,000 feet AGL. Cleanup was straightforward, with no noticeable pitch changes with gear and flap retraction. After accelerating to 250 knots, our climb rate was 5,300 feet per minute at 99.1 percent N1 and 17,000 pounds per hour fuel flow. After passing 10,000 feet, we turned east and accelerated to 340 knots for the climb to FL290. From brake release, the climb had taken just 12 minutes. The noise attenuation work Boeing has done in the cockpit resulted in a quiet, comfortable environment.
As we continued east toward a working area near Moses Lake, I performed some basic checks on handling qualities and found that the forces, displacements, and aircraft response were exceptionally well balanced in all axes. These excellent handling qualities have become a Boeing trademark. The B-767-400ER handles slightly better than the B-777.
With the absence of the "soft protections" incorporated in the B-777, the B-767-400ER feels more "like an airplane." Sharp control inputs in the B-767-400ER do not produce as much aeroelastic response as in the B-777, particularly in the roll axis. As Capt. Kohler so clearly stated after the flight, "This is the first widebody aircraft I have flown that didn’t have that widebody feel." Translation: "This is the best handling widebody airplane in the Boeing product line." Capt. Rogers and I both agreed.
As I mentioned earlier, our objective was to bring a line pilot’s perspective to the evaluation. So our first maneuver east of the mountains was a rapid descent, simulating loss of cabin pressure. To make this more interesting, and because it is standard procedure at some airlines, I
flew the maneuver completely on the autopilot. I dialed the altitude from FL290 down to 11,000 feet, disconnected autothrust and brought the throttles to idle, dialed the speed up to 350 knots, and deployed the speedbrakes.
On the initial pitchover, the rate of descent increased to 9,600 feet per minute at 7½ degrees nose down, then slowed to 5,300 feet per minute as the airspeed stabilized at 353 knots. The time from start of the descent to level-off at 11,000 feet was just 3 minutes. Very impressive, particularly since we flew the maneuver by interfacing with automation, rather than manually.
We entered an arbitrary working area into the Honeywell Pegasus FMC and set up for some flight maneuvers northwest of Moses Lake. The first was a check of roll rate in bank-to-bank rolls from 30 degrees to 30 degrees at ½ wheel deflection. Flying the clean airplane at 350 knots, bank-to-bank took 4 seconds, for a roll rate of 15 degrees per second. Here is where a sharp control input initiated an aeroelastic response from the airframe. A later check of this same maneuver with flaps 30 at Vref=136 gave a bank-to-bank time of 6 seconds, or a roll rate of 10 degrees per second. This excellent response at slow speed in the landing configuration is another indication of the exceptional handling qualities of this airplane.
I set up for some clean stalls at a