NEVER-before-seen restored segments of Donald Campbells' Bluebird K7 have been unveiled to the public for the first time.

About a third of the boat was this weekend moved from a workshop in North Shields to a purpose-built wing at the Ruskin Museum in Coniston.

Campbell was killed instantly on Coniston Water when the craft flipped over while travelling at more than 300mph during a 1967 record attempt.

Divers recovered the wreckage in 2001 and it is now being restored with the intention of running low speed trials on Coniston in the future - although no date has been set yet.

The return of two restored spars, some of the fairings and replicas of the boat's four-metre long sponsons herald a major step forward in the project and gives people the chance to see the famous boat begin to take shape again.

Vicky Slowe, curator of the Ruskin Museum, said a couple of hundred people have visited the museum since the restoration team arrived on Saturday.

"They were all pretty amazed to see it in 3D. It made a huge impression on them," she said.

"People have seen pictures of her or watched it on film at high speed going across the lake at a distance but to see it close up gives a real impression of just how big it is.

"It is intended to be a proper memorial to Donald Campbell - a real British hero who achieved so much.

"Seeing her on the water will be the icing on the cake but this is just wonderful."

Bill Smith, who led the recovery of Bluebird 14 years ago and is now heading up the restoration project, said 14 volunteers helped with the move and build.

"We knew it was going to look great," he said. "I am more pleased we managed to get everything in place without any injuries or dropping anything because the parts are very heavy."

Eventually the pieces will go back to Tyneside so the whole boat can be constructed before being sprayed blue and returned to Coniston for the trials.

It will then go on permanent display in the museum.