So.. in other news, I have now installed two extra mods to my usual complement of "KSPX and nothing else, if that".
First one is the FAR plugin, the one dealing with improved aerodynamics. I find that it greatly helps when you can designate surfaces to only control certain directions, as well as create flaps and airbrakes. The extra aerodynamics... well, on one hand they make things easier. For rocketry, they're a tremendous improvement (so much so that if KSP ever adopts a similar system, many rocket parts will need rebalancing), and I actually feel like an Eve ascent vehicle is now quite feasible. On the other hand.... some of its additions to realism are going to take some getting used to. Control surfaces can no longer be mounted "just anywhere". At supersonic speeds, they become less effective. The lift from wings is now modeled in such a different way that I'll have to relearn building spaceplanes. But all in all, it's a welcome change.
The second mod is the absolutely awesome
subassembly plugin. It's not really a "mod" since it doesn't alter parts, but the VAB/SPH functionality it provides is... phenomenal. With it, you can build a rover in the SPH, then save it as a sub-assembly, so that you can put it on your lifter rocket in the VAB. You can save lifter stages, pusher stages, custom booster stages, escape pods, landers (unpiloted ones), anything. Anything that doesn't require crew to be in it at the start of the mission, you can save and load with this tool. It's very, very useful.