An "How to" for VTOL Landers and crafts?

[Melcom]

I am searching for an easy way to create and fly VTOL crafts, especially landers or service vehicles for bases.

Placing engines the right way and flying them is, for me, really hard. I just just can't manage the thrust/mass in a right way. Don't get me wrong, symetric lander cans from the VAB are not the problem. I am talking about such ships like from the old sci-fi series "Moonbase Alpha". I know there are crafts out there to use but i want to creatoe my own ships.

Is there something in the stock game that helps with that? Or is there an easy to use mod that manages the thrust of the crafts engines to hover without crashing every ten seconds?

Thx.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Melcom

[capi3101]

Gonna point you to DocMoriarty's KSP Space Plane Construction and Operation Guide. It's a PDF file that goes over spaceplane design in general in stock atmo, and it includes an extensive section on the construction and operation of VTOLs. You might also consider a mod called RCS Build Aid; among the many wonderful things it does, it shows you how much and in what direction your CoM will shift as your fuel tanks drain, and the usefulness of such data oughta be obvious.

Short version:

* Basic Jets rule as VTOL vertical engines.

* Set the CoT of your vertical engines about where you'd want your CoL on a normal plane.

* Lock the gimbals.

* You can't have too much SAS.

[Melcom]

well, Thank you for that. VTOL are not easy, tried very often.

Is there no mod that just hovers a ship automaticly? I tried Mechjeb but it does nothing right if your engines aren't perfectly placed on the nonameter.

[FlipNascar]

Well if you want go down the road of having engines off centre of mass you are going to need a lot more SAS. Otherwise the craft does not have the capability to counteract the torque reaction from the thrust being so far off the CoM. As per capi3101's suggestion, RCS Build Aid is a very helpful tool. It will tell you how much torque will be applied, and in which direction. From that you can see how many reaction wheels you'll need just to fight that torque...

[DavidBowman]

For mods, you should definitely try Throttle Controlled Avionics. Makes VTOLs much easier.

[Melcom]

For mods, you should definitely try Throttle Controlled Avionics. Makes VTOLs much easier.

OMG, that video just shows what i was looking for. Thank you!

I am looking forward for testruns.

[Melcom]

ok, it is just awesome! 5min testing and i landed on the VAB. Great!

http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/ugc/527261216813164994/F20559F7B7BCA72F9DDCC9051343B21D50F1AB44/