I doubt that's the issue here. The problem is that there are a lot of quacks in the space who don't know what they're doing, as well actual competent engineers

I doubt that's the issue here. The problem is that there are a lot of quacks in the space who don't know what they're doing, as well actual competent engineers where the design they're trying to perfect is a dead end. Extreme skepticism is generally wise - this engine just turned out to be the rare exception.