A basic VTOL I made...

[Stewcumber]

I thought I'd try out a VTOL using stock parts.

It was pretty easy to fly:

(resize fail)

Until...

It seems I overdesigned it and can't get back to my flukey perfect design and flying skills

[SofusRud]

My advice:

make sure the COT is going through the COM, use thrust limiters

Add reaction wheels, one on each engine bit should do it, if not add more

add an emergency ejection system pronto

[razgriz86er]

advanced advice ~ put your center of thrust through the center of fuel. then balance the Center of Mass around both.

keep in mind fuel needs to be drained equally on either side of the center of fuel to maintain balance. arrange fuel lines accordingly.

no reaction wheels are needed, though they are handy counter weights with a compact size for half a ton.

if fuel balance can't be achieved using fuel lines perhaps the TAC fuel balance mod would fix it.

also the editor extensions mod is handy for finding the dead center of a fuel tank. handy for setting up vertical engines along the center of fuel.

as for the craft you posted~ the engines and fuel seem to be in the right place in relation to one another *where front to back is concerned*. its just the center of dry mass seems to favor the 4 jet engines. with the engines being so far below the rest of the craft without anything balancing the weight above it will create a chronic pitch down while the forward jet burns.

hope that advice comes in handy just in case there's a MK.II