VTOLs

[Chris Morris]

Recently I thought about trying some challenges in Kerbal Space Program, and the first thing I thought about was VTOLs. If anybody has an idea about what type of VTOL I should create, just comment below. Images can be helpful too,  

Edited March 10, 2016 by Chris Morris
Name Change

[RizzoTheRat]

That Yak 38 carries a lot of dead weight compared to Harrier, and it's big brother the 141 melted a hole in Farnboroughs main runway the only time it ever did a vertical landing at the airshow.

I've experimented with rotating engines in KSP using Infernal Robotics but never had much success, my best one was a tilt wing but it wasn't very stable in VTOL and the wings were way too wobbly in conventional flight.  I would love to see someone come up with a design that uses the main thrust engines for VTOL as well.

[Overland]

Skycrawlers as I call them work delightfully well either stock in 1.05 with a reversed jet engine on the roof or KAX radial..

More akin to an autogyro in thier nature in that they use wings for additional lift.. Id love to see the design scaled up in a challenge though

 

they use a single engine on the roof with a radial attachment point, ballence vs fuel is a little tricky.. but even with SAS etc turned off and depending on thrust and control surfaces they can be fun.. expectedly sluggish to respond at low airspeed though they do take off MOSTLY vertical.. at 2ms.. but landing is another matter

works fine with jets in reverse thrust but the radial KAX engine has a better sound

video of one.. crashing horribly during an underpowered landing in my stream recorded a while ago in 1.04

glide they do not

http://www.twitch.tv/overlandtrain/v/52527623?t=10s

Edited March 10, 2016 by Overland

[KerikBalm]

My most successfull VTOLs are like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Much simpler in KSP

Just 'cause thats a rocket on duna, doesn't mean it doesn't work with jets on kerbil, particularly afterburning panthers.

The sluggish throttle response can be helped with panthers by an action group to switch afterburners on and off... or you can just descend vertically on parachutes, if you don't mind repacking them after every landing

[Dafni]

I got a lot of VTOL inspiration from Cupcake

Spoiler

 

I'll just add that I highly recommend to look into joysticks.

[Gargamel]

If you're not opposed to using a couple mods, then I would start with Throttle Controlled Avionics.  It's a mod specifically designed to adjust and balance thrust over multiple VTOL engines.  The MK2 expansion pack and MRS engine packs have a few nice VTOL engines to play with. 

But for a "stock" build, I have made a functional VTOL craft using inverted mk2 cargo bays to hold engines, and used TCA to balance them. 

For a non stock build, using the above mods (and a couple other stock alike parts packs), I have a nice VTOL fighter system, plus an 18 engine VTOL "mother ship" designed to fly to a forward airbase, and setup refueling operations using KAS.   It might soon have Air to air refueling too. 

At the very least, look at TCA, it'll help.

[RocketBlam]

I find the easiest ones are tail landers. In fact I just (finally) designed one that can SSTO to Kerbin Orbit, but it's designed to SSTO from the surface of Laythe.

 

Then you can use parachutes to make sure your tail end is pointed down, add a little thrust if the chutes aren't quite strong enough, and you can land in many more places than wheel landers, since they need a relatively long flat area.