A process for assembling a brushless motor-generator includes assembling a rotor formed from two spaced apart rotor portions having magnetic poles that drive magnetic flux circumferentially through the rotor portions and back and forth across an armature airgap formed between the rotor portions. An air core armature is formed by coating a substantially nonmagnetic armature form with a tacky adhesive layer, and winding armature windings into a winding pattern onto the substantially nonmagnetic form using wire made of multiple individually insulated conductor strands that are electrically connected in parallel but are electrically insulated from each other along their length when located inside the armature airgap, wherein the strands of said wire are diametrically held together by an outer serve. The winding of the armature form includes sequentially applying pressure to sections of said wire against the tacky adhesive layer.