Help in identifying a particularly noisy aircraft
 

Hi, perhaps somebody who specializes in noisy aircraft might be able to answer this. I'm on holiday in Nice at the moment and staying on the Western side of the city towards the airport. At approx 15:40 local time, there was an almighty racket from some plane taking off, everybody on the beach was taken by surprise. It looked like an MD-80 or similar with rear-mounted engines, but there appeared to be four not two engines at this end (I couldn't swear by this as I didn't have my glasses on), also the wing shape was not the same as an MD-80. I've checked the departures for Nice airport at this time but can't find anything that matches - could it be a military or cargo plane of some description? Thanks in advance...

Edit: I think it may have been a Vickers VC-10, it looks extremely similar to what took off. Are they still operating though?

Do you have any information on colour scheme? VC10 is pretty unlikely as only the Royal Air Force operates them. Ilyushin 62 would be marginally more likely, if what you saw really did have 4 rear-mounted engines.

The RAF still fly VC10's. An aircraft with a similiar engine arrangement is an IL 62. A number of these still fly for carriers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet states in both passenger and cargo versions. They are noisy!

RAF VC10 departed there today :ok:

Thanks for the replies and to @PPRuNe Radar for the confirmation - it wasn't a genetically modified MD-80 after all :E

Believe me, if there's one the the VC10's known for....

Yep I was thinking RAF VC10 straight off. They do a lot of "civi" flights ie for personal out of uniform, support staff etc etc with a proper check-in terminal at Brize.
God knows who was on this one. Actually not even sure God has the necessary authorization to know.

:-)

The mighty 10, Queen of the Skies, sometimes drops into Nice for fuel when trailing fast jets back from the sandpit.

Yes, I have seen an RAF VC-10 on the ground at Nice once, and a magnificent sight it was too!

Yes it was a RAF VC10, 'cos I was getting off a BA Airbus next to it as it started up and taxied off for t/off! Great noise, great smell, all British, and it carries a Flight Engineer..........absolute Nirvana!