‘Most Complex Lego Machine Ever Built’: See This 152,455-Piece Rolls-Royce Jet Engine
- Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:53am by
Liz Klimas
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The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine is composed of 160 different engine components. It‘s this engine that helps propel Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. Imagine how complex such a machine must be.
Now imagine building a half-scale replica of it — out of Legos. It took a team at Bright Bricks 152,455 Lego bricks, weighing 677 pounds and measuring 6.5 feet long to accomplish this feat, according to Gizmodo.
(Photo via Wired)
(Photo via Wired)
(Photo via Wired)
The team sponsored by Rolls-Royce along with graduates and apprentices presented their creation — only a fraction of the actual engine weighing 1.25 tons — at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom. Watch the machine in action at the show:
Wired reports Rolls-Royce Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stein saying the replica is “as realistic as possible” and that the company hopes “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.”
CNN reports another Roll- Royce representative saying of the project “some people clearly have a lot of time on their hands.”
Wired explains the model created is a “cutaway” of the actual engine to show the inner workings. It shows the fan blades, compressor blades and compression section in “plastic brick detail.“ Gizmodo describes it as the ”most complex Lego machine ever built.”
Watch this speedy representation of the engine being built:
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Comments (53)
nappy
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 1:10pmGE _could_ have built one of these but they would have had to take parts form their assembly lines.
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:44amIf we keep exporting jobs to Mexico/China, soon all our planes will be made out of legos.
Report Post »Yeah_Buddy
Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:24pmI heard the new Chevy Volt will be offered in a special Lego edition. One benefit is once it catches fire, you can easily mold it back to its original form.
Report Post »itcagw
Posted on July 14, 2012 at 6:47pmThen the Legos will be made in China.
Report Post »1WhoQuestions
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:59amSimply amazing.
Oh, the things you can build out of Legos. One of the most artistic creations was the Lego Tower Bridge, model 10214. Still would love to get the Lego Ultimate Collector Series edition of the Millenium Falcon, model 10179. Another work of art, IMO.
Yes, I am a fan. Yes, I am close to a middle age adult. And no, I don’t have nearly enough nor anywhere close to what others have.
http://www.eurobricks.com and http://www.fbtb.net are a couple of the many websites out there where adult fans of Legos can share their collections and creations.
Create something today. :)
Report Post »Master_and_Commander
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 3:18pmI’m a huge Lego fan too, and proud of it :) Lego fans unite haha
Report Post »JediKnight
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 3:54pmWe (as in my son and I) just finished the Lego Ultimate Collection Star Destroyer not to long ago. I had it sitting in the garage for several years. We‘ve gotten him into Lego’s and I thought to myself “Why not bring that out.” I did most of the work (it is pretty big) but he loves putting his mini figs on the side of it.
We‘re planning on getting him more sets and plain buckets of Lego’s for his birthday and for Christmas.
Report Post »ChewyBees
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 5:28pmSaw the M.F. on Amazon a couple of months ago for 2 grand (used I believe). I wish I would have bought 5 when they came out and never opened them.
Report Post »RedManBlueState
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:30amSo, when will it be on the shelf at Toys R Us?
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:15amA team of white males? What? No female tokens, how sexist. No federally mandated minorities? Outrageous.
Report Post »mongastanman
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:51amNobody but a bunch of geeky-white-boys would think of doing it, duh!
Report Post »KnuckleDraggingNeanderthal
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:04amLegos Rock! Man, the things I could have built 40 years ago as a kid with all those specialized shapes! And lets here it for Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, and Playschool 2×4 Wooden Blocks!
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:11amDon’t forget Tinker Toys
Report Post »Blazebanned
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:50amAnd Lincoln logs!
Report Post »Centurian
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:59amFor those who are complaining about how this was a waste of time and money: I have to ask a simple question: what is the purpose of marketing and advertising?
Answer: To get the brand name and/or company name into the memories of the masses.
How many people who read the article ALSO watched at least one video?
We all now know that Rolls-Royce built the engine for Boeing’s newest jet. This means that although some on here may complain about money being wasted, I would argue differently. Rolls-Royce succeeded because you remembered their name.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 12:39pmI don‘t think anyone’s necessarily complaining as much as saying (as the Rolls Royce employee said it) “some people clearly have a lot of time on their hands.”
If this is how Rolls wants to employ people, that’s fine with me. It’s their money.
Now, if it’s found out that our government subsidized it, then there’s a problem.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:58amI remember when it would of been American kids and an American engine built from Leggos. How far we have fallen.
Report Post »John655
Posted on July 13, 2012 at 2:31amSo right, they’d have built an Pratt & Whitney Engine. P&W engines put GE engines to shame. After all who wants an engine built by the same people that build our refrigerators and washers that only work for 10 yrs then die.
Report Post »SZ939
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:14pmSorry John655, During the time I worked as a Subcontractor at GE Aircraft Engine in Evendale, I spoke with a number of Fighter Pilots who PREFERRED the GE Engines to the Pratt Whitney ones in their F-16 and F-15 Fighter Jets. One pilot was the first to survive a multiple Re-Light event in his F-16 because he knew he had a GE Engine in his plane. The Pratt Whitney Engines had a problem with EXPLODING if they attempted to re-light the engine after a flameout. His F-16 experienced 2 compressor stalls during advanced maneuvers and he successfully re-ignited the engine TWICE and landed his multi-million dollar aircraft safely instead of punching out and leaving the aircraft to be destroyed over a populated area.
Report Post »VRW Conspirator
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:50amsorry…this is AWESOME….especially if the engine is functional…meaning that it can move and all the parts behave as they would in a real jet turbine…this is a GREAT way to let children see how things work and how they are built…the BEST Lego kits on the market are of engines, planes, boats, cars, and such that actually MOVE…a Lego pirate ship is good, castle and dragon are cool, aliens sell big, but what do they teach as the child plays…?? even as a mental exercise…this is AWESOME!!
Report Post »granted…some of you would classify me with these guys… “a nerd”.. OOOHHH…really..why..because they are smarter than you, had a higher GPA, work as an engineer, scientists, mathematician, didn’t play FOOTBALL?
I was all county in Cross County and Track, in one of the top 5 counties in my state, played Soccer for 9 years, and STILL graduated 13th in my class..and went to UCLA as a Theoretical Physicist….i have students now that would LOVE to do their labs like this…they would LEARN massive amounts of information, especially is coupled with the correct instruction and background questioning…
get out of your high school mindset and realize that America is now tied for 9th in Math and Science Education in the world!! with 5 other countries…that means 14 nations are better or as good as we are in fields we have pioneered for a CENTURY!!
Fine…call them NERDS..but you work for THEM!! SUCK IT!!
RamonPreston
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:48amWould they build me a reliable car? On SS I can’t afford a new one and our car is killing me with repairs. I live in a rural area and a car is not an option; it is a necessity.
Report Post »got243kids
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:44amWell done on a fantastic display of modeling and engineering. My son has built functioning 4, 5 and 6 speed transmissions and then built the car around it, just one of many of his Lego endeavors.
This product (Lego) requires imagination and fuels creative license, attributes destroyed by television and the geniuses at the Department of Education. For those of you who fail to see the beauty; you’ve insulted the creative members of the next generation of critical thinkers who are diligently pursuing activities outside of jaded perspectives and the chains of compulsory education.
Report Post »silverstacker
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:29amIt always makes me a little sad to see Lego glued together. Seems like such a waste. An impressive build though.
Report Post »schroeder123
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:26amOh for Pete Sake !
Report Post »DrunkGOP_Hack
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:11am“CNN reports another Roll- Royce representative saying of the project “some people clearly have a lot of time on their hands.”
Yeah I suppose the could be sitting on their hands collecting a check for not working or not being productive.
Brilliant.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:52amSo they collect a paycheck for playing. Every job I had involved a boss whipping me to be more productive. “We encourage you to better yourself” does NOT mean find a better job; it means make more parts.
Report Post »KeystoneState
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:56am“Lambda Lambda Lambda”
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:09amNERDS!!!
NERDS!!!!
Classic…
Report Post »SLOWBIDEN
Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:03pmyou forgor the omega moo’s
Report Post »Wyratt
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:29amWe’re gunna be in the Hudson..
Report Post »nappy
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 1:10pmhaha!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:09amObama stimulus money……….it created three temporary jobs.
Report Post »lfoa
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:57amGreat as an Object Oriented Programming brain excercise.
Report Post »K Harlan
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:52amLighten up, guys! As a guy that could never make anything cool from Legos, I’m impressed – anyway, I didn’t pay their salaries, and frankly it’s pretty effective marketing. This story will be worldwide today.
Report Post »A buddy of mine in Ohio made an electric guitar from Legos (just the body) just to see if he could. It plays great and now he’s working on a second one. And, yes, he’s been laid off.
scrapadapolis
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:41amAdd your comments
Report Post »RRFlyer
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:22amSo the guy touches it in the end and 152,455 leg go pieces come tumbling to the ground.
Report Post »scrapadapolis
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:38amOk now that we were paid thousands of dollars to play with legos,how about we see if tinker toys and lincoln logs interact with an erector set.who funded this?and fire them!!
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:29amSomeone needs a girlfriend or a reason to leave the house/office.
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:25amIs there anything you can’t make from Legos, besides a girlfriend?
Report Post »Mattsbay18
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:38amHaha!
Report Post »snapperman
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:23amNo grass to watch growing?
Report Post »jaylew
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 5:40pmI hear you dude……and at age 57 I am too old to be part of the real Lego Fan Club….my 2 boys had them growing up but that was before these more intricate kits or exhibits were popular.
I do not know your age….and I am with you on the paint watching thing and concept……but I think you would agree with me…..that nothing in the toy world or the artsy-f*rtsy quasi toy world…NOTHING ever invented was as wretched or awful as the “Etch-A-Sketch”……the only toy on earth that deliberately tried to make the human mind….which even at a young age is able to see the world in 3-D and in color…..the only toy ever that dumbed the human user down to a 2 dimensional grayscale left and right knobbed stab at artistic creation. The Etch-A-Sketch…..perhaps the most unimaginative toy ever invented. Worse even than a stick and a rock…..a Toy invented no doubt…by a French Liberal…for use among French Liberal Toddlers and French Liberal pre-adolescents……..simply to make the French liberal minds later in life…..seem so smart…so witty and so cutting edge. Standing in a Food Stamp line is less painful than trying to use an Etch-A-
Report Post »Sketch for any purpose.
Legos blow the plastic red Etch-A-Sketch away in every aspect of analysis.
OniKaze
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:17amI do contract work for rolls-royce from time to time… My job ends me up in one of their local facilities a few times a year, and I completely agree with the anonymous source form above saying “they have too much time on their hands…”
They do.. Most of the 20 to 30 people I interact with there only do about 2 hours of actual work during an 8-10 hour shift.. I have never seen so many people being paid so much do to so little…. The only other person I can think of that gets paid a lot of money to do nothing is Obama, who tends to do nothing, and then point the finger at others and blame them for his own ineptitude… At least when the lazy union folks at Rolls ARE working for those 2 hours.. They do some good work… Unlike our vacationer-in-chief who NEVER does anything good….
Report Post »Nervous Investor
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:03am… true thing !
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 10:43amAt least you said “good.“ He has done lots of things ”bad.” The destruction of the Constitution, healthcare tax, loss of our freedoms and the implementation of the NWO. I see on Newsmax today that he has granted himself the power to seize the Internet. Won‘t be long before we won’t be able to speak our minds about him.
Report Post »JohnGaltCalling
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:16amBrilliant
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