World's fastest airliner??

I watched a documentary on BBC 1 this evening – about how the Red Arrows recruit their pilots.

Presented by Julia Bradbury it followed nine RAF frontline pilots who were all hoping to join the Reds.

The programme followed their progress as they left the UK from RAF Brize Norton in an RAF VC-10 for Akrotiri in Cyprus – home for the Reds during their summer practice.

I was intrigued by a throwaway line of Julia Bradbury’s as we saw some great air-to-air shots of the VC-10 – which she described as ‘the world’s fastest airliner’.

With the demise of Concorde – is this true ??? Is the VC-10 the fastest ??

OK – you might argue that it isn’t an ‘airliner’ – it is a tanker/ transport – but it is in use as an ‘airliner’ by the RAF.

My point is – is it that fast, compared to say, an Airbus 330/340 ?? or a Boeing 777 ??

Was she (or at least the programme makers) right?

Ken

PS – I wouldn’t have minded being in Bradbury’s shoes as she got a backseat ride in a Hawk.

Thinking about it, that’s not the only thing of Bradbury’s ……………..