This site I have set up for a
number of reasons, let me explain.
In 1990 a
fellow model flyer from the Breckland Model Aero Club by the name of
Peter Scarborough informed me that he had a Morley Hughes 300 for sale.
Some of the benefits of this model was that it could use a normal aero
engine, I had plenty of these that I used for my
model airplanes.
This model had been set-up to use a standard 4 channel radio set,
interesting I thought. So I took a look at this machine and what a
striking machine she was, bright pink in fact. Peter explained that this
helicopter he bought second hand from a chap in the R.A.F and that it
had flown all over the world. Well, I fell in
love with her and that was that, £40 and she
was mine.
I had limited success with her but
grew frustrated by the problems I had with the tail drive and never
proceeded passed the hover. It was around this time in my life that I
got married and my hobbies took a back seat for 13 years!
2004 and I got bug back and
started re-building my aircraft. I also got the urge to fly another
helicopter. I fancied something that I could fly in the garden and
needed something, of course, that was quite.
I ended up getting a Century Hummingbird CP (Collective Pitch). This has
proven to be a wonderful machine and I have had many hours of fun with
her at little running cost, which is a real
bonus! Now a friend of mine from work,
who I was teaching to fly fixed wing, bought a
Raptor 30. It was
second hand but had all the modifications one
could wish for (apparently), and was sold by a
chap that appeared to know what he was doing. Now Peter, no this is
another Peter, he had never owned a model
helicopter so I offered to take a look and see what we could sort out
and set up. To cut to the chase, we set the
machine up and it came to the first real flight.
Peter, beforehand had made a few hoops around
his huge garden, but this was it's real first flight
in his ownership. I took the transmitter from
Peter, after another one of his "hops", and brought he head speed
up to flying speed, and she was airborne. It
was incredible and so stable, I find it
difficult to explain how so, I realised that the Hummingbird, although a
great machine, is a REAL handful!
Armed with this info I said to
myself, "I need a heavier petrol helicopter"
in an envious tone. "Hang on, I have
the Morley in the shed", so
I started to take her apart and making notes as to what parts I needed,
this is where I started to have problems. Parts for these old timers
are, at best, none existent mainly due to the fact that not many
of these old timers are around,
along with the fact the Morley Helicopters does not really exist anymore.
So I have been buying bits up left and centre, along with complete kits.
So I am now in the position of having two complete Hughes 300's and one
that is in bits for spares. This should keep me going for a little while
and to add to my, stock I bought a Morley Bell 47G.
So, realising the parts problem
out there, for most older Morley helicopters,
I started posting a few posts on forums around the world asking for
peoples thoughts, this way I could gauge the need for this web site.
Well as you can guess I had a favourable response and that is why you
are reading this now.
So please take the time and look
around the site and please contribute where you can,
as it will be you that makes this site work after all.
Copyright © 2004 MorleyHelicopters.com. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
16-09-2005.
