Powering the Shot: 1 Motor vs. 2 Motors

You have a shooter. It spins. Should you use 1 motor or 2? Does adding a second motor make it shoot twice as far? (No). So why do it?

The Reason: Recovery Time

When a flywheel hits a game piece, it transfers energy. The flywheel slows down.

• 1 Motor System: The wheel drops from 2000 RPM to 1500 RPM. It takes 1.5 seconds to spin back up.
• 2 Motor System: The wheel drops from 2000 RPM to 1800 RPM. It takes 0.2 seconds to spin back up.

Result: A 2-motor shooter can fire 3 shots in 1 second. A 1-motor shooter needs to wait between shots.

The Reason: Torque Maintenance

Heavy game pieces (like the DECODE Artifacts) require torque to accelerate. A single motor might “stall” or struggle to push a heavy object through a tight compression hood. Two motors power through “dead spots” and jams.

Is it worth the weight?

Adding a second motor adds ~0.7 lbs. For a top-heavy shooter, this is bad. However, being able to rapid-fire your hand is usually worth the trade-off.

Verdict

If you have the motor slots: Use 2 Motors. If you only have 1 slot left: Use a Heavy Flywheel (brass or steel) to store inertia, compensating for the lack of motor power.