Farnborough 2012: Rolls-Royce showcases jet engine made of Lego

Rolls-Royce unveiled the world's first jet engine made entirely out of lego. It is a half size replica of the Trent 1000 which is currently being fitted into the new 787 Dreamliner planes.

The bespoke Lego sculpture took four Rolls-Royce apprentices and graduates eight weeks to design and complete using 152,455 Lego bricks. The engine is part of a display in the Innovation Zone at the Farnborough Airshow.

Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce, Chief Scientific Officer, said: "We hope that this representation of our technology will help to enthuse and inspire the potential scientists and engineers of the future about the career opportunities they could pursue."

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Lego Rolls-Royce jet engine

Lego Rolls-Royce jet engine

Lego Rolls-Royce jet engine

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Farnborough, England (CNN) -- The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 jet engine can spin at 1,200 miles per hour and deliver a mighty 75,000 pounds of thrust -- unless it's made of Lego bricks.

A version of the British manufacturer's most up-to-date aircraft engine made up of more than 152,000 toy bricks was among the more unusual displays at this year's Farnborough Air Show in the UK.

The half-scale model, complete with spinning Lego turbines, took specialist company BrightBricks eight weeks to construct and is made up entirely of standard Lego parts.

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Rolls-Royce apprentices advised on the design of the Lego version of the engine to ensure it was as accurate as possible.

The real Trent 1000,  which is made from 30,000 components and weighs 5,800 kilograms, is currently being fitted onto Boeing's new 787 Dreamliners.

It is hoped the model will encourage young people visiting the show to consider careers in engineering. Or perhaps Lego.

Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce's chief scientific officer said: "What we do is exciting and we hope that this representation of our technology will help to enthuse and inspire the potential scientists and engineers of the future about the career opportunities they could pursue."

Not everyone is convinced however. One Rolls-Royce representative quipped: "Some people clearly have a lot of time on their hands."