Note: All data I've quoted come from this document, which contains information and numbers about a lot of the popular motor replacements for Nerf.
The Falcon is a 130 sized motor (WFK130SZ-2190), smaller than the popular "Blade" 180 (or FK180SH-3240). As such, it has approximately half the torque (when both are run at ideal voltages for Nerfing purposes), which can lead to some issues when being used as a pusher. I found it a little difficult to consistenly pull off single shots with a Falcon pusher, often firing off two shots instead.
Additionally I like the ability to dump an entire clip (mag) into someone at a moment's notice. Sure a Rapidstrike running any decent set of motors goes through darts far faster than any other clip (mag) system blaster, but I wanted just that little bit extra speed.
According to the specs of the FK180PH-3050, running on a 3S it spins a little faster than a Falcon (though not excessively so), and has 2.5x the torque. While I wouldn't normally go out of my way to purchase motors for the sake of testing, I received one of them in a lot of motors off eBay, which included Blades, and was at the time the cheapest source of Blades I could find.
Installing the 3050 was the same as installing a Blade, remove the pinion and any other components attached to it, then solder it in, cut the hole in the shell, cover the hole and reassemble. One issue with the 3050 is that the axle likes to pop slightly out of place very easily, which usually occurs from removing the pinion. I used a similar technique with my Blades and had no issue, so I'm assuming that it's a problem specific to the 3050's. I was able to remove the pinion, however in the process of doing so the axle itself popped out slightly. This can be an issue, as even if it is pushed back into place, while spinning it can pop out slightly by itself again. I solved this by simply gluing in a few pieces of plastic that prevent the axle from popping outwards, keeping the worm gear that is attached to the axle perfectly in position with no horizontal wiggle room.
One of the main reasons I'm not a massive fan of 180s is the motor cover necessary to protect the terminals of the motors. On a Rapidstrike (or most flywheelers for that matter), 180s used as flywheel motors lie flush with the outside of the shell, with the terminals sticking out, requiring a motor cover that sticks out a fair distance. It's not that significant, but I'm not a fan of how the bulge looks on the side. The pusher motor of a Rapidstrike is further inwards than the flywheel motors, and as such when a 180 is installed as a pusher, the terminals only just stick outside of the shell, and as such can be covered with a much lower profile cover.
From initial testing, I find the 3050 pusher much easier to single shot than a Falcon pusher. It runs over much less frequently than with a Falcon pusher, which I found to run over annoyingly frequently, especially in the most recent MHvZ event. Rate of fire is slightly increased, I recorded around 9.5dps at 11.1v, where on Falcons it typically recorded 8.5-9dps at 11.1v. The increase isn't so much so as to become uncontrollable, but it was noticeable upon first trying the 3050.
I haven't run the 3050 pusher in any games yet so no comment on durability, but the ease with which the axle can be popped out of place is a concern. It probably won't get any action for over a month, considering exams.
3050's appear suitable for flywheel motor use as well (spec wise at least), they have the speed to get glass ceiling velocities, and the massive torque will give it really fast spinups and allow it to maintain rapid fire easily. One potential massive issue is the axle popping out of place, for flywheel motors this is completely unacceptable and can potentially render the 3050 unsuitable for flywheel use, regardless of its specs.
So far I'm happy with the results, the improved pusher control is very nice, and the slight ROF increase is a good bonus as well. The 3050 as a pusher motor has yet to go in any combat, and I'll be reporting on that when it sees some real action.
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