dear working hard:
just to set the record straight, both the DC8 and DC9 were taken to mach 1.0+ during tests...neither had rudder problems.(not that the subject referenced rudder)
as to the others speaking ill of the 737 and its rudder...consider that planes built now would have to have a different rudder system for certification...the airbus is a much newer plane (even the A300) and should be better.
The VC10 is a lovely looking plane. I don't know the speed specs on it. but like the DC9, the rudder is quite small compared to the A300 or the 737. For reasons discussed on this thread before.