It proved quite fruitful and we managed to get the front cabin scrubbed thoroughly with chemical film remover as used by professional valet and road maintenance companies. This stuff worked through 28 years of smoke damage and dirt that had accumulated on the ceiling, walls and panels, and scrubbed parts very clean, ready for painting in the future.

We also put back in place the window and ceiling panels, which will be cleaned by team member Dave Matthews as he visits regularly to work on the aircraft.

In the cockpit, Neil spent the day working on the centre pedestal, sanding and flatting, and then painting it.

Also a big thanks to Northumbria Police for arranging the escort team (Cleveland and Durham Police bikes) from so early in the morning, and not charging us for this service. They made sure the roads were clear and that no problems were encountered. We appreciate it and couldn’t have done it without them.

Now that the dust has settled, here is a selection of pictures from the move day:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

12►

Following its transport across two fences and a live runway yesterday, it sat on its low loader transport overnight ready for its early departure at dawn.

Then, at 5.45am the transport began, heading across to the A66, then up the A19 to the museum.

More news and pictures to follow!

This amounts to an extra £2000 in costs, which we just don’t have lying around!

In addition to this, the cost of the move is a little more than anticipated.

Can you help us with our costs? We are very grateful to everyone who has donated so far and it has ALL gone towards the project. However, time is running out and we want to ask if anyone can help us pay for this insurance? Every £1 counts.

We are planning to move the aircraft on 31st July, so we really need to hurry!

Also, if your company would be willing to sponsor us to help with our costs we’d love to hear from you. We offer great exposure and press opportunities for any company who helps. Please get in touch.

To donate to our project, please click this link where there are various different options http://www.savethetrident.org/donate/

As we move forward towards the final stages of dismantling Trident 1C G-ARPO ready to move to Sunderland, our costs have increased as we have to find £300 extra for costs of scaffolding. Can you help?

Everyone who donates to our project – even if it’s only a few pounds – is helping to preserve this aircraft for future generations to enjoy and look back on. It will be the only aircraft of its type preserved in one piece anywhere in the world. As well as being a museum exhibit open to the public, it will also be used to educate local children.

Our next milestone is to remove the wings from the aircraft, which will necessitate scaffolding being erected over each side. The cost of this will eat into the funds we have available, leaving us a few hundred pounds short of our target for transporting the aircraft.

Additionally, we need to transport the rudder and wingtips from the Trident 2E aircraft at Belfast to Sunderland in the near future, which will again cost extra money.

To help speed this project along, please consider donating. We are completely transparent with the money you give us and account fully for its use. If you have any questions, just ask

You can donate by clicking this link

If you are a former Trident pilot and have flights on G-ARPO in your logbook, we’d also love to hear from you.

The main focus of the day was to remove the tail fin and number 2 engine intake. This would require a lot of cutting inside the rear of the aircraft to remove the spars and metal that supported the structure and attached it to the fuselage. Stan from MSD got on with that, along with MSD’s crane who kept hold of the tail.

Meanwhile, other members started the day by quickly removing the number 2 galley from inside the aircraft. This was in a fairly bad shape, and by removing it we now have a lot more space as you enter the aircraft. This will prove invaluable when open to the public as it gives a lot more room for people to pass through, and an area where we can greet visitors. Don’t worry though – the number 1 galley is still present and we’ll aim to restore it at a later date.

Some more progress was also made on the engine side pods thanks to our helper from Henderson Engineering.

As the day progressed, Neil joined Stan in the rear of the aircraft to cut the spars. And, with relative ease, we were able to lift the whole tail off. A hairy moment followed as the gusty wind caused the dangling fin to blow about, but all was OK. Then it was lowered safely down onto the ground.

We were very pleased with progress and now have just one major step left to get the aircraft ready to move – the removal of the wings.

You can view some pictures from the day below.

Due to the costs of hiring contractors, we are starting to run low on funds. Please do consider donating if you possible can as it will help ensure this historic aircraft is saved and preserved for future generations to enjoy. Please click on the donate link at the top.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

We arrived at 8.30am, and thanks to Serco who assigned a member of staff to look after us and shepherd us to the fire ground, we spent over 7 hours working on the aircraft. Thanks also to our experienced former firefighters Peter and Phil, who set up high pressure hoses to blast the fuselage and tail.

27 years of grime came clean away in most places. After this we scrubbed whatever we could reach with some industrial detergent. We couldn’t believe how good the condition of the wing surfaces were, and much of the fuselage was gleaming (even reflective!) by the end of the day.

Inside the cockpit Neil and Julian spent time removing more panels to take away for restoration, and they also temporarily fitted what Neil had restored so far to see how it looked – the answer was impressive (see the gallery below). They also managed to clear the blackout paint from the windows, letting light into the cockpit again. We also had a good sweep of the cabin, removing a lot of loose rubbish.

It was a fantastic day spent in the sun, and we were pleased to welcome Julian to help us. We can really see how great this aircraft is going to look once restored, and every step we take brings it a little closer to move day.

Please donate if you can as we still need to raise money for the move itself. As you can see from the photos, there is great potential in this aircraft but we are still short of the money needed!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

This week, Tony and Neil will be meeting with the authorities at Durham Tees Valley, as well as Serco’s International Fire Training Centre, to go over the project plan, timescales, and health & safety aspects of the move.

Whilst this is a tense period where all of the details have to be discussed and fit together, it is also an exciting time for the project. We hope to be able to fix a date for the move very soon as a result of all these discussions. The preparation of the aircraft will also start this week.

First of all, they have offered the use of a Cherry Picker whenever we need it. This will be useful when dismantling our Trident at its current site, which will require a lot of cutting and will result in plenty of bits and pieces that we need to transport or dispose of.

Secondly, Skipbridge have offered to create a sign for us to display on the aircraft when we transport it.

Argie Ward from Skipbridge has made this very generous offer to our cause, so we want to publicly thank him. The company are very experienced in all manner of banners and signage, so please go to them with any needs you have to show your support. They offer very competitive prices, and service with a smile. Visit them at http://www.skipbridgesigns.co.uk/

The interview will take you to the aircraft, explaining her current state both externally and internally, and a bit about what we hope to achieve with her restoration.

Our thanks to Anna Foster for featuring our project and arranging the interview. Radio 5live is on 909/693AM. The Breakfast Show is from 6am, and available on iPlayer.