It Made Me Smile

Originally designed for children Lego is still able to bring out the big kid in anyone, especially when it comes to creating scale models.  Lego enthusiast Ryan McNaught has taken a passion for building in plastic a step further than most by painstakingly constructing an accurate replica of an Airbus A380 “Superjumbo”.

The replica model of the Quantas aircraft, a double-deck, four-engine airliner which is currently the world’s largest passenger plane, uses mainly white, grey and red bricks. It took McNaught, a native Australian, eight months to build. It is made up of over 35,000 pieces, measures over 7ft in length and is 6ft wide.

The model moves too with automated touch-screen controls operating functions that include front landing gear, two rear landing gear doors and airbrakes on the wing. Surrounding the aircraft there are baggage carts, fuel tankers and airport employees wearing the obligatory bright attire.

The construction shows only of half the plane’s exterior, which enabled McNaught to recreate scenes from life onboard an airliner.

There is a full crew and passengers can be seen stretching their legs in the aisles, reclining in their seats or nipping to the toilet. And like all good flights, there are one or two celebrities on board – presumably in first class.

McNaught, a father-of-two from Melbourne said of his project: “No one has ever built an Airbus like this. When I first unveiled it people were climbing over each other to have a look.

“I used to work for an airline so had a bit of knowledge about planes, but it is harder to get information these days because of the world terrorism threat.

“Most of the designs came off the internet and I had to adapt the scale of the Airbus because your average Lego man is quite fat for his height.”

The model, which was built his garage, is set to appear in Chicago for the Brickworld Lego event later this year.