Brah – Full-House Slope Wing Assembly Guide [WIP]

This guide is work in progress atm, check back in a week to see what’s new 😉

Brah, aka Shaka XL, is a 1.5m / 40in flying wing with flaps and ailerons that provides you with ultimate control over your RC Glider.

This model is a long-awaited development of the original Shaka Slope Wing.

It preserves the original shape while adding some features which did not exist in the previous design.

On the other side, the Brah inherits some design decisions of the original Shaka and there are some similarities in the build process as well.

We’ll refer to the original build guide as needed.

Elevons Only or Elevons & Flaps?

One of the main features of the Brah are the optional Flaps.

The wingspan and area of this flying wing is on the bigger side, so it likes to stay airborne, even when you need to land.

So we strongly recommend opting in for flaps, as these will help a lot on landings.

On the other side, the programming of a wing with flaps, also known as a full-house wing, maybe a challenge.

There are some basic recommendations that you can use to program your radio.

But if you don’t feel confident enough, get the hand of an experienced colleague, or just keep the control surfaces uncut and build it with Elevons only.

Part 1: The Fuselage

To get started, assemble the fuselage.

The best strategy here is to get the bottom, sidewalls, a top sheet, firewall, and the walls that form the ballast enclaves together.

In the case of using long-setting glue, secure all the parts with masking tape or pins and position the assembly on a flat surface under load.

Let the glue sit this way making sure that the fuselage is straight.

Part 1.1: Powered Or A Pure Glider?

Similar to it’s predecessor, the Brah allows you to build the same fuse in a powered, non-powered, or universal.

It’s up to you!

The powered version in the pictures below uses the F5K powerset with a 6×4 prop

For the unpowered version, skip the FO part to make the sanding easier.

Part 2: The Vertical Fin

This part assembly is very straightforward, just position the parts right.

After the glue dries up, taper the rear (right on the picture below) part and round the needed edges before covering.

Part 3: The Wing

Before assembling the wing we recommend deciding on the servo installation options.

Please, check the original Shaka Assembly Guide to see what the standard and low-drag options are.

Also, choose if you would prefer four servos, or just two, w/o flaps.

Choosing the above will influence the parts you will need to modify further in the build.

For representation purposes, we will describe the four-servo build option in the low-drag configuration as the one that will require the most modifications.

In Progress… Check back in a few weeks.

Radio Settings [WIP]

Below, you will find an overview of an OpenTX/EdgeTX model setup used for the Brah.

This is just one of the options, that allow for quick adjustments at the field, especially while flying the Brah with flaps.

The main features of this model also include:

1. Motor disabling switch
2. Using the throttle stick for both motor control and brakes on landing
3. Dedicated endpoints and sub-trims for each servo
4. Combined values of Pitch, Roll, and Brakes for each “pair” of flying surfaces

Here are some screenshots that will help you understand the mixes

To be continued…