As pointed out Vickers built the VC10 and supposedly used ship building techniques - I was told that the Iron duck came from the substantial titanium brackets that held the donks on!
Trident gear/airbrake limits. Lower retraction speed was if the grey matter is correct - due to the nose gear doors ( undercart was off set with one large door).
The main gear airbrake was still in use in 1972 when I come onto the gripper - I believe there was yet another incident at lhr before the function was inhibited.
Cruise speed - yes it was very fast but MMO had been reduced (think it was originally M.92)
It went very fast on one special flight with a couple of Very senior management extremely competent pilots (if you believed them) who,if P3 is to believed, pulled the CB and flew at M.design as tghe young lady down the back was late.
I think most of us heard about it as P3 made a point of telling all and sundry.