I really need help learning how to build spaceplanes.

[Clockwork13]

I've watched tutorials, I've tried experimenting myself. I've tried using stock planes as an example. Still though, I cannot figure out how to build a plane. The closest I've ever got was an abomination of a plane that could fly but was incredibly hard to control and pretty much impossible to land. Either my planes explode on the runway or they take off then crash into the ground after flying for 5 meters. Can anyone please give me some advice?

[A_name]

Well, the most important part is to have your COL behind your COM. Not too far behind, otherwise it'll be uncontrollable, just touching it. Then you need to make sure it stays that way. Drain the fuel from your tanks and see how your COM moves. If it ever moves behind the COL you need to adjust so that it doesn't.

Now to your specific issues:

"incredibly hard to control "

Assuming you already balanced your COL and COM as described above, you need more control surfaces. Also, make sure you use the right click menu on each control surface so that they only control the direction of movement they're supposed to. This means, for example, for your rudder deactivate pith and roll and only leave yaw, or for elevators deactivate roll and yaw and leave pitch.

"pretty much impossible to land"

This can also be due to not enough control surfaces, or due to not enough lift. Add more control surfaces and/or more wing parts.

"my planes explode on the runway"

Use struts.

"they take off then crash into the ground after flying for 5 meters"

Not enough control surfaces or incorrect COL - COM balance.

Planes in KSP aren't supposed to be hard. Keep it simple at first and work your way up. Learn to walk before running.

Happy to answer follow up questions.

[Reactordrone]

The landing gear can be a bit buggy at the moment so now isn't the best time to be building aircraft and spaceplanes but putting up pictures of your current craft will let people see potential problems and offer solutions which should help you with design issues.

 

[bewing]

Bigger planes are much harder than smaller planes. As A_name says -- "working your way up" also includes size, I think.

Some parts are much harder to use than others -- the LY01 and LY05 landing gear are quite hard, for example. The LY10 are much easier.

And when you say "spaceplane" -- do you just mean a regular old atmospheric-only KSP plane? Or do you really mean something that gets all the way to space?