About Quinn Aerospace Inc.
35 years on one idea — and a physical prototype to show for it.
Quinn Aerospace Inc. was founded by Steve Quinn in Santa Clarita, California. Since 1987, the company has developed Pressure Foil Propulsion from a concept into a patented, physically tested technology with documented efficiency advantages over jet and rocket propulsion.
01 — Our Story
Where it started.
In 1987, Steve Quinn began the search for a fundamentally different method of propulsion one that could work across automobiles, boats, ships, trains, and aircraft using a single mechanism. The concept that emerged was pressure foiling: generating axial thrust through a rotating pressure-differential disc, without a propeller, jet nozzle, or rocket.
Over the following three decades, hundreds of physical and virtual models were designed, built, and tested. The results across all configurations pointed to the same conclusion: pressure foil force generation outperforms conventional propulsion at high forward speeds and is documented to consume 7.4 times less energy per unit of thrust than a jet engine, and 279 times less than a rocket.
Today Quinn Aerospace holds two active patents, US 11,518,443 (active to 2041) and CA 3159999 and has completed a formal physical prototype test run of 1,346 metres at 20 mph, with full onboard telemetry documentation. The company is now pursuing licensing arrangements with established manufacturers in marine, defense, and aerospace markets.
1987
Research began
277+
CFD simulations completed
2
Active patents held
02 — Milestones
The development timeline.
1987 — Research begins
Steve Quinn begins searching for an alternative propulsion method for automobiles, boats, ships, trains, and aircraft using the pressure-foiling concept.
1994 — First patent granted
US Patent 5,328,333, Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus, is granted — the foundational patent describing the pressure foil disc mechanism.
2022 — Control system patent granted
US Patent 11,518,443, Control System for Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus, is granted. Active to 2041. This is the commercially licensable IP.
2025 — PF900 LSV prototype built and tested
The Land Speed Vehicle prototype completes a documented 1,346-metre test run at 20 mph with the pressure foil as sole propulsion. 80 lbs of stationary thrust documented on video.
2026 — CHP approval and VIN assigned
California Highway Patrol assigns VIN CA1201016 to the LSV following formal inspection in August 2026. Canadian patent CA 3159999 reinstated. El Mirage desert test scheduled for October 2026.
Now — Licensing outreach underway
Quinn Aerospace is actively approaching marine, defense, and aerospace manufacturers with a full confidential licensing pitch available under NDA.
03 — Intellectual Property
Active patent protection to 2041.
US 11,518,443
Control System for Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus
The commercially critical patent — covers the adjustable control surfaces that modulate direction and magnitude of thrust output. This is what a licensing partner would manufacture products using. Managed by Kelly and Kelley LLP, Burbank, California.
Active to 2041
CA 3159999
Control System — Canada
Canadian protection for the same control system. Reinstated August 2026 following a brief lapse. Provides dual US and Canadian IP coverage for North American licensing partners.
Active — reinstated August 2026
US 5,328,333
Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus
The original foundational device patent — granted 1994, expired 2013. Now in the public domain. The commercially protectable implementation layer is covered by US 11,518,443.
Expired 2013
Patent portfolio managed by Kelly and Kelley LLP, 4400 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, California. Tel: (818) 347-7900. Licensing term sheets and NDA documentation available upon request.
04 — Computational Validation
277+ simulations on SimScale.
Over 277 configurations of the pressure foil have been simulated using SimScale a globally recognised, cloud-native CFD platform used by aerospace OEMs and engineering firms worldwide. Virtual results closely match physical prototype test data across all configurations tested.
520 mm
Smallest diameter tested
6,000 mm
Largest — ship scale
16,000+ N
Max simulated thrust
277+
Total simulations
The full SimScale dataset covering all 277+ configurations is available to licensing partners under NDA. The dataset includes velocity magnitude visualisations, thrust output figures, power consumption data, and efficiency metrics across the full diameter range from small-craft to ship-scale applications.
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The CFD results also closely correlate with the physical prototype test conducted on June 19, 2026 providing computational validation of the technology's real-world performance.
05 — Team and Advisors
The people behind Quinn Aerospace
A small group of engineers and scientists, brought together by the same research problem, across four countries.
SQ
Steve Quinn
Founder and CEO, Quinn Aerospace Inc. Inventor on both US patents. Has led all development since 1987, including design, physical prototype construction, CFD simulation program, and patent prosecution. Based in Santa Clarita, California, 20 miles north of Los Angeles.
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US Patent 11,518,443 — Control System for Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus (active to 2041)
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US Patent 5,328,333 — Rotating Thrust Producing Apparatus
Santa Clarita, California, USA
JM
John Mungenast
Founder, Power Quality Magazine. Electrical Engineer, General Electric Company. Guided Missile Engineer, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
RG
Robert Goodman
M.Sc., Electrical Engineering. Vice President, Kyocera International, Incorporated.
San Diego, California, USA
AR
Dr. M. Aqeel Rashad
Ph.D., Engineering and Natural Sciences. Scientist specialising in computational fluid dynamics — simulation of jet and vortex actuators. University of Stuttgart.
Stuttgart, Germany
DM
Dr. David Mendels
Ph.D., Physics. Scientist, Computational Fluid Dynamics. National Physical Laboratory.
London, England
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
NA
Nabil Arslan
M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering. University of Engineering and Technology.
Lahore, Pakistan
AK
Asif Khan
B.Sc., Electrical Engineering. University of Engineering and Technology.
Peshawar, Pakistan