Flywheel

A slightly modified Barricade RV-10's flywheel system

Flywheels, in the context of dart blasters, are wheels that propel darts or other ammunition by friction. Flywheels rotate at high speed and store energy as rotational kinetic energy. They transfer some of this energy to the ammunition when it is fired, propelling it out of the blaster. In newer blasters, flywheels are often driven by electric motors, but blasters have been produced with hand-powered flywheels, the first of which was the RipSaw. The first Nerf blaster to use motor-driven flywheels, and two flywheels, was the Motorized Ballzooka MP-150. The first Nerf dart blaster to use flywheels was the Barricade RV-10. Other blasters from Buzz Bee, Lanard, and Air Zone use flywheels as well.

Parts of the flywheel

A flywheel-based blaster requires several parts in addition to the flywheel(s) to function. These parts can be easy to understand once the owner has become used to them; however, to new Nerfers, they may be very difficult to understand. These include a way to turn the flywheel(s) (either electric motors or some kind of handle); batteries, wires, and a switch if the flywheel(s) are driven by electric motors; and a way to feed ammunition into the flywheel(s).

Examples

A simple example of a flywheel blaster is the RipSaw, a ball blaster that has one large flywheel. The flywheel is driven by a handle that is pulled and pushed by the person using the blaster. The trigger feeds Ballistic Balls one at a time from a hopper. Each ball, when released by the trigger, rolls forward into the barrel and is propelled by the flywheel; it rolls along the top of the barrel and exits the blaster.

As a more complicated example, the Barricade RV-10 is a dart blaster with two electric flywheels. There is one flywheel above the barrel and one below it. Each flywheel is driven by its own electric motor; the Barricade requires batteries and has a switch on the side. Micro Darts are stored in a 10-position turret, and pushed between the flywheels one at a time by a dart pusher connected to the trigger. When a dart is pushed between the flywheels, it is accelerated by friction and shot out of the blaster.

Blasters with flywheels

Nerf

• Barricade RV-10
• Buzzsaw
• Motorized Ballzooka MP-150
• Rayven CS-18
• RipSaw
• Stockade

Buzz Bee

• Automatic 20
• Automatic Tommy 20
• Mech 12
• Mech 3
• Mech 6
• Mech Ball Blaster
• Mech Tommy 20
• Ultimate Rapid Blast

Lanard

• Motorized Clip Shot

Banzai

• Moto Twin Fire Blaster
• Quickload Power Blaster

Prime Time Toys

• Gatling Blaster
• Quickfire
• Power Strike 24
• Power Strike 48
• Punisher Gatling Blaster