Re the noise while the VC10 was incredibly noise on the outside it was lovely inside, compare that to a 436 or PW turboJET (JT 3B/C) powered version (SABENA in my experience) and well there is no comparison. Take off power on the &)&s with these engines shook the whole plane violently and made the most incredible noise as four straight jets belched out unburnt JetA1 and water methanol in a dark stream and you felt your ear drums would burst. Oddly after going back to climb power it seemed quite quiet but that may have been temporary deafness induced by the preceding 90 seconds or ear trauma.
Of thread but it wasnt just the 707 VC10 pairing either, there were a decent number of Conway powered DC8s (Srs 40?) which were equally noisy in spite of having enormous retractable iron 'silencers' (!!) on the engines which slid rearwards on take off to try and moderate the row.
Much more excitign though than watching a 777 depart though.
On approach though i think the Conways were much quieter than the fanjet engined versions (P&W JT3Ds) which screamed like banshees with gear and flaps down and blocked out the sound track as they flew over the Hounslow cinema I often went to.
I ahd to laugh at the earlier posters idea of resurecting a Conway &)& and flying it over Richmond and Windsor to demonstrate what real aircraft noise is-or sadly (in a way) was.
PB