UWL is now called "Igniter Class" and it is part of Underground Drone League. View the new website for updated information.
WHAT MOTORS CAN I USE?
Underground Whoop League (UWL) requires pilots to use motors from the approved list. This helps keeps the racing as fair as possible. Check the list below for approved motors. Keep in mind that your UWL build MUST use motors from this list.
The official approved motor list is as follows
- UWL Lite 802 19,000kv
- UWL Limited Edition 802 19,000kv
- Happymodel EX0802 19,000kv (Split Bell, Unibell)
- Happymodel SE0802 19,000kv
- Tiny Whoop Boost Juice (Gold, White Split Bell)
- Tiny Whoop Ginko (Black/Red, Gold/Black)
Please note: These motors are not currently legal
- Tiny Whoop Nytfury
- Tiny Whoop Agave
- Tiny Whoop Secret Advantage (Teal/Pink)
- Tiny Whoop Pegamoose (Copper)
How We Determine What Makes a New Motor
In the past, we have always differentiated OEM motors by their branding. This is because, aside from branding, it can often be impossible to tell OEM motors apart (even if they perform differently). This is important because it tells us when a new motor must be tested for the sake of being allowed in the spec. This method of differentiation is not unusual and other specs have very similar methods.
However, this method now feels like it could be better polished due to new motor releases that challenge this philosophy. For this reason, we are now considering any change to be a new motor, not just a change in branding. Some other examples of these changes might include kv, color, packaging, name, and what the company is claiming about the motor, including if it is limited edition or not.
This change to how we determine what qualifies as a new motor takes effect July 9th, 2024. Any new motor will have to undergo testing to be approved for the spec. Any legal motor made by a company will be made illegal if it is indistinguishable at a glance on race day from an illegal motor made by the same company.
RECOMMENDED
UWL Lite
802 19,000kv
Tiny Whoop
HEX 802 19,000kv
Happymodel
EX0802 19,000kv
OTHER LEGAL MOTORS
UWL
Limited Edition
802 19,000kv
Tiny Whoop
Boost Juice
802 19,000kv
Happymodel
Split Bell
SE0802 19,000kv
EXTRA INFORMATION
Why We Have An Approved Motor List
Why can't I use any motor?
The goal of UWL is to allow pilots to have as many options as possible. Under ideal circumstances, you would be able to use any motor. We had hoped that the RPM Limiter would help with this. And while the RPM Limiter has helped, what we noticed is that higher KV motors still had an advantage over lower KV motors, especially while turning. This is because the RPM Limiter limits the average RPMs, not the max RPMs. In theory, that shouldn't make a difference but we are seeing higher kv motors still hitting higher RPMs and feeling faster around the track. Additionally, not every "19,000kv" is created equal, and almost every motor labeled as such is actually testing at higher KV numbers than this approved list, which is the foundation of UWL.
Why do we need the RPM Limiter if we are restricted to these motors?
The RPM Limiter, despite not totally eliminating motor differences in our testing, is still extremely effective for pushing motors together and making them fly more similarly. If you were to buy 20 motors, you'd find that 4 of them would test slightly higher in KV than the rest. This would (and historically has) lead to pilots over buying stock just to find the 4 motors to give themselves an advantage. This is a sort of "pay to win" scenario that the RPM Limiter eliminates.
When will ________ motors be approved?
We've done initital KV tests on pretty much every motor on the market. The current list of motors seems to be the only motors that can exist within the spec without increasing the overall speed of the spec, at least as far as using the Kaack limiter is concerned. We will be looking to move to the street league limiter for our Fall 2024 season, and we hope that at this time, the improved limiter will allow more motor options to be allowed while still preventing fair racing.