diff --git a/src/modules/fw_att_control/fw_att_control_main.cpp b/src/modules/fw_att_control/fw_att_control_main.cpp
index fe27de14f5..ccf12a0791 100644
--- a/src/modules/fw_att_control/fw_att_control_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/fw_att_control/fw_att_control_main.cpp
@@ -193,12 +193,14 @@ private:
 		float trim_roll;
 		float trim_pitch;
 		float trim_yaw;
-		float rollsp_offset_deg;			/**< Roll Setpoint Offset in deg */
-		float pitchsp_offset_deg;			/**< Pitch Setpoint Offset in deg */
-		float rollsp_offset_rad;			/**< Roll Setpoint Offset in rad */
-		float pitchsp_offset_rad;			/**< Pitch Setpoint Offset in rad */
-		float man_roll_max;						/**< Max Roll in rad */
-		float man_pitch_max;					/**< Max Pitch in rad */
+		float rollsp_offset_deg;		/**< Roll Setpoint Offset in deg */
+		float pitchsp_offset_deg;		/**< Pitch Setpoint Offset in deg */
+		float rollsp_offset_rad;		/**< Roll Setpoint Offset in rad */
+		float pitchsp_offset_rad;		/**< Pitch Setpoint Offset in rad */
+		float man_roll_max;				/**< Max Roll in rad */
+		float man_pitch_max;			/**< Max Pitch in rad */
+
+		int vtol_type;					/**< VTOL type: 0 = tailsitter, 1 = tiltrotor */
 
 	}		_parameters;			/**< local copies of interesting parameters */
 
@@ -241,6 +243,8 @@ private:
 		param_t man_roll_max;
 		param_t man_pitch_max;
 
+		param_t vtol_type;
+
 	}		_parameter_handles;		/**< handles for interesting parameters */
 
 
@@ -404,6 +408,8 @@ FixedwingAttitudeControl::FixedwingAttitudeControl() :
 	_parameter_handles.man_roll_max = param_find("FW_MAN_R_MAX");
 	_parameter_handles.man_pitch_max = param_find("FW_MAN_P_MAX");
 
+	_parameter_handles.vtol_type = param_find("VT_TYPE");
+
 	/* fetch initial parameter values */
 	parameters_update();
 }
@@ -481,6 +487,8 @@ FixedwingAttitudeControl::parameters_update()
 	_parameters.man_roll_max = math::radians(_parameters.man_roll_max);
 	_parameters.man_pitch_max = math::radians(_parameters.man_pitch_max);
 
+	param_get(_parameter_handles.vtol_type, &_parameters.vtol_type);
+
 	/* pitch control parameters */
 	_pitch_ctrl.set_time_constant(_parameters.tconst);
 	_pitch_ctrl.set_k_p(_parameters.p_p);
@@ -703,10 +711,8 @@ FixedwingAttitudeControl::task_main()
 			/* load local copies */
 			orb_copy(ORB_ID(vehicle_attitude), _att_sub, &_att);
 
-			if (_vehicle_status.is_vtol) {
-				/* vehicle type is VTOL, need to modify attitude!
-				 * The following modification to the attitude is vehicle specific and in this case applies
-				 *  to tail-sitter models !!!
+			if (_vehicle_status.is_vtol && _parameters.vtol_type == 0) {
+				/* vehicle is a tailsitter, we need to modify the estimated attitude for fw mode
 				 *
 				 * Since the VTOL airframe is initialized as a multicopter we need to
 				 * modify the estimated attitude for the fixed wing operation.