Rolls-Royce has unveiled a half-size replica of its Trent 1000 jet engine built entirely of Lego bricks in Farnborough's Innovation Zone.

Showing the inner workings of a jet engine, the manufacturer describes the model as "one of the most complex Lego structures ever built" and says it took a team of four Rolls-Royce graduates and apprentices eight weeks to complete.

Weighing 307kg (667lb) and measuring 2m long and 1.5m wide, it is made from 152,455 Lego bricks. It was built by constructing over 160 separate engine components and joining them together in the manner of a real jet engine. Every part of the engine from the fan blades to the combustion cambers was analysed and replicated in Lego.

Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce's chief scientific officer, says: "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."

All the latest news, images and video from the 2012 Farnborough air show

Source: Flight Daily News