Started playing the demo, 0.13. Latest version was 0.14.3. No palm trees, but the gui and parts and everything... so different.. The game has REALLY changed.
I think I know why its breaking. The VTOL joint bends faster than the part can actually move. Every. Single. One. Of my creations that are complexish (not heavy) has had this problem since the days of DR. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6nu1htqystihw4j/Kerb-ferris%20wheel.craft
From a book, I remember hearing early in the space races Russia had tons of failures- but it was shielded by the Iron Kurtain that russia has, making Russia seem so sucessful.