AeroTech/Quest History
AeroTech Consumer Aerospace™ (AeroTech™) was founded by Gary C. Rosenfield in Sacramento, California in 1982 to design, manufacture and market solid composite propellant hobby rocket motors. The first motors offered included the "G30" "moonburning" motor and "E6" and "F10" long-burning contest motors which were later sold through Apogee Components of Colorado Springs, CO. Sales were by mail-order and "rocket product only" dealers that typically operated at hobby rocket launch sites.
In 1985, Gary co-founded Industrial Solid Propulsion™ (ISP™), Inc. with Daniel H. Meyer to design and manufacture solid composite propellant rocket motors for aerospace, military and industrial applications. 1985 also marked the year that AeroTech and ISP first moved their facilities to Las Vegas, NV and in 1987 they moved again to an industrial complex at 1955 South Palm St. in Las Vegas. By 1988 AeroTech had established itself as the largest supplier of technically advanced solid composite propellant rocket motors for the hobby rocket market. In 1989, AeroTech acquired the assets of Enertek™, Inc., a Phoenix, AZ-based model rocket company that sought to enter the "E" through "G" mid-power segment of the model rocket market. Also in 1989, AeroTech was acquired by ISP in a transaction that brought Paul C. Hans, an Enertek co-founder and model rocket pioneer, into the company.
After the acquisition, AeroTech began to design and develop an advanced line of mid-power rocket kits, ground support equipment, igniters and propellant formulations for the "E" through "G" portion of the hobby rocket market. These products were designed to be innovative, high quality, durable, precision engineered and easy-to-assemble with large-rocket adult appeal. AeroTech received a number of patents for these design innovations. This new mid-power product line was introduced at the end of 1989.
In 1990, AeroTech debuted the revolutionary "RMS™" or Reloadable Motor System™ to the high-power (initially "H" through "K" class) hobby rocket motor market, under the ISP trade name. The RMS was partly based on work that had been performed by ISP during the development of man-rated parachute extraction systems for light aircraft. RMS, then a breakthrough technology, consists of a reusable aluminum alloy rocket motor casing and separate solid propellant "reload kits". For the first time, hobbyists could fly their rockets for about 1/2 the cost per flight of single-use motors. In 1991, the reloadable motor concept was expanded to include the model rocket portion of the market as well.
In 1995, AeroTech introduced its "RMS/Hybrid™" line of reloadable hybrid propellant rocket motors to the high-power rocket motor market. These nitrous oxide and cellulose-fueled motors offered an alternative to the traditional solid propellant technology and had a per-flight cost of about 1/2 that of solids. AeroTech received a patent for the pyrotechnic valve technology used in the RMS/Hybrid motor in 1996. The hybrid product line was later expanded to include a variation of the hybrid technology that AeroTech dubbed "RMS/Turbo™". RMS/Turbo combined nitrous oxide injection with a fuel-rich conventional solid propellant for a significant boost in delivered performance at a slightly increased cost per flight. 1995 was also the year that Gary founded RCS™, an online proprietorship that specialized in the sale of rocket motor parts for experimenters.
In 1997, AeroTech introduced the "Econojet™" line of single-use motors. AeroTech combined features of performance, design and packaging in the Econojets to create a line of motors that could be sold at a price point midway between its traditional single-use motors and RMS reload kits.
In November 1999, AeroTech and ISP were acquired by RocketAdventure, an investment partnership. Also in November, AeroTech introduced its first new kit in several years, the 4" diameter "G-Force™", and expanded the Econojet motor line.
In 2000, AeroTech announced two major upgrades to its line of high-power RMS motors, the RMS-Plus™ advanced delay sealing system and the FirstFire™ two-lead igniter. AeroTech and Dr. Franklin Kosdon revealed that an agreement was reached whereby AeroTech would manufacture the Kosdon TRM™ line of reloadable motors under an exclusive licensing arrangement. In addition, AeroTech announced the upcoming availability of its new Redline™ propellant formulation.
In May of 2001, AeroTech introduced the Sumo, its second 4" diameter kit and the first to be "convertible" for use with high-power motors. Throughout the Summer of 2001, AeroTech released the previously announced Kosdon TRM line under the "Kosdon by AeroTech™" (KBA™) trade name, as well as the Redline propellant high power reloads in a wide variety of motor sizes.
During 2002-2003, AeroTech and ISP moved to Cedar City, UT. The RCS proprietorship became RCS Rocket Motor Components™ (RCS), Inc., in August 2003, and in April of 2004 RCS purchased the intellectual and physical assets of AeroTech and ISP. RCS initiated the manufacturing of the AeroTech and ISP products under the "AeroTech Consumer Aerospace", "Econojet", "Kosdon by RCS", "Industrial Solid Propulsion" and "ISP" brand names.
In August 2006 AeroTech announced the LMS™ line of "loadable" model rocket motors. They included the first `G` class single-use motors that could be shipped via U.S. Mail Parcel Post with no hazmat fees.
In February 2013 AeroTech introduced the DMS™ Disposable Motor System™ line of adjustable delay and ejection single-use motors and the Universal™ Delay Drilling tool. This product line has since expanded to 40 types of motors ranging from ‘G’ to ‘O’ class.
In July 2013 RCS acquired the physical and intellectual assets of Quest Aerospace™ (Quest™), Inc., a leading manufacturer of model rocket kits, motors and ground support equipment in the `A` through `C` power range.
In February 2014 AeroTech announced the "Economax™" line of low cost, high performance composite propellant model rocket motors, and upcoming 38mm and 54mm diameter additions to its DMS line of adjustable delay and ejection single-use motors.
In 2018 Quest announced its Q-Jet™ composite model rocket motor line, initially released in the 18mm ‘A’ through ‘D’ range. These motors featured clay nozzles and patent-pending thermoplastic motor cases and were the first composite propellant motors to be price competitive with traditional black powder motors.
In 2019 AeroTech/Quest began a major rebranding of their products. Q-Jet became “Q-Jet by AeroTech™”, Quest became “Quest by AeroTech™” and the previous standard AeroTech mid-power motors (including the Econojet and Economax brands) and AeroTech and Quest mid-power kits became “Enerjet by AeroTech™”.
In 2021 the Q-Jet motor line was expanded to include 24mm x 70mm ‘D’ and ‘E’ motors performance and price competitive with traditional black powder motors of the same physical size.
In 2022 the Q-jet motor line was further expanded to include 24mm x 95mm ‘E’ and ‘F’ motors.
AeroTech has been producing rocket motors for the motion picture special effects industry since the early 1980`s. AeroTech rocket motors have been featured in numerous motion pictures since then, and you can look for them in "Iron Eagle", Delta Force 2", "Tank Girl", "Star Trek: Generations," "Tomorrow Never Dies," and "October Sky". AeroTech also supplies rocket motors to educational institutions and rocket parts to other hobby rocket kit manufacturers. AeroTech kits and motors have been featured in a National Geographic article and PBS television show on thunderstorm research, a Travel Channel special on Ray Halm`s "Aries" project, a "Junkyard Wars" episode and a Discovery Channel "Mythbusters" program on the legend of Wan Hu.
The core strength of the AeroTech/Quest product line is its composite propellant rocket motor technology. Compared to conventional black powder propellant, composite propellant can produce up to three times the power for the same propellant weight. In addition, composite propellant technology permits the creation of rocket motors with performance characteristics and sound and visual effects not possible with black powder propellant technology.
Since its founding in 1982, AeroTech/Quest has grown to become the largest
supplier of "A" through "G" power composite propellant model rocket motors, mid-power rocket kits and related products and "H" through "O" high-power composite propellant rocket motors in the world.