Is it true that it “only makes that sound because he leaves the brakes on?”
Does the TARDIS only make that noise because the Doctor leaves the brakes on?
Below is supposition from what we know about the process of TT-capsule drive systems, however, it's worth noting that when the Doctor's TARDIS is flown by someone else, it still makes the noise. When other Time Lords fly their own ships, they still make the noise. SIDRATs, TARDIS components and improved TT craft still make that noise. That alone tells you it's not just 'his brakes'.
🔊What the noise actually is
That familiar vworp/groan/elephant-having-a-baby sound is produced during dematerialisation and materialisation, when the TARDIS is disengaging and re-engaging with normal spacetime.
It comes primarily from the Relative Dimensional Stabiliser and associated systems straining against local spacetime as the ship transitions.
It's a signature of TT capsule transit, not just one man's incompetence as River might have you believe.
🤔So what was River on about?
River Song is technically correct, as a TARDIS can materialise quietly, and the Doctor has legitimately done this many times before. However, this likely requires extremely precise piloting, full synchronisation between pilot and ship, additional energy expenditure and the deliberate dampening of stabiliser feedback.
What River calls 'leaving the brakes on' is shorthand for not fully disengaging the stabilisation resistance during landing. Doing that makes the transition louder, rougher, and much more forgiving.
The Doctor probably prefers this mode because it's safer, faster, and kinder to the local timeline.
The TARDIS doesn't make that sound only because the brakes are on, but leaving the brakes fully engaged absolutely makes it louder.
💬|🛸💥Why don't Time Lords keep bumping into each other in time and space?: How Time Lords seem to keep avoiding each other effectively (most of the time).
🤔|🛸🧬The Life Cycle of a TARDIS: How TARDISes are born, grow, and die.
💬|🛸👽How do TARDIS personalities vary model to model?: The differences in personality between various TARDIS Types.
Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical.
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