Defaulting on its payments since last April???

From Current Report Filing (8-k) of 15 April, 2015

Item 8.01 OTHER EVENTS.

On April 15, 2015, World Surveillance Group Inc. (the “Company”) defaulted on a monthly installment payment in the amount of $3,333 which was due and payable pursuant to that certain Settlement Agreement (the "Decarlo Settlement Agreement") entered between the Company and DeCarlo Group, LLC on July 9, 2014. The Company has paid a total of $31,664 in accordance with the Decarlo Settlement Agreement and currently owes the remaining amount of $53,336 payable in monthly installments of $3,333 from April 2015 through July 2016. The Company has also not made the May 2015 and June 2015 payments.

In addition, on April 19, 2015, the Company defaulted on a monthly installment payment in the amount of $20,000 which was due and payable pursuant to that certain Settlement Agreement (the "La Jolla Cove Investors Settlement Agreement") entered between the Company and La Jolla Cove Investors on November 18, 2014. The Company has paid a total of $210,000 in accordance with the La Jolla Cove Investors Settlement Agreement and currently owes the remaining amount of $80,000 payable in monthly installments of $20,000 from April 2015 through July 2015. The Company has also not made the May 2015 and June 2015 payments.

Indy good afternoon,

sorry to sound a bit opinionated, but the deflation of the Argus while not being tested is an obvious synchronicity when it comes to considering the total lack of any progress on the R&D side of the flagship piloting/spiral developing project of WSGI. Deflation only shows the lack of any action and that is what to expect actually. You cannot drive anywhere with a flat tyre.

We have nothing, repeat NOTHING in terms of info/evidence from the company showing the company is in any way being involved in ANYTHING R&D. What are they waiting for to just fold and disappear?

Even standard quarterly reporting is late, correct me if I am wrong please. We are in other words "totally deflated" of any content.

Indy good afternoon, a deflated Argus means nothing is happening on the prototype developing side the rest is history.

Thanks for the update.

Best as ever

Indy,

thanks for the factual and well thought out reply. I have been happy to read it and re-read it. In fact absolutely no demagogy or celebratory tones for a company such as WSGI, and that is finally a good thing, coming from you. In the past more than once your messages have been messages of misplaced hope and potential achievements based on no factual information.

As a Frenchman, a shareholder and a doctor often dealing with matters of life and death in a war context I have no qualms and happily reply to your question by grading Drew's performance TI (totally Insufficient). He might have been a good soldier and officer but at the helm of WSGI we have seen nothing of his past valor and survival skills.

If I were to perform in my job as he has done in charge of this company I would definitely not be in a position to be able to drink a proper Turkish coffee (wasat please) in any souk of this part of the world.

Especially with Yemenis if you are deemed to have failed your job as a doctor you might be shot at. And yes I have worked in Yemen,Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

Guess Drew's wife being French knows well what TB, B, P and I mean. But for the benefit of non French speaking IHubbers the acronyms mean Very Good, Good, Pass and Failed. My grade = TI would then mean totally failed ou Tres Insuffisant.

WSGI is finished as far as I am concerned. But I will keep at it. There are some lessons you only learn when the patient is dead. And the process of dying in itself is absolutely part of the learning.

Best regards to you and good luck with your new company

Turboddog,

sorry to disappoint you, there in no ship left only an empty hull with no Huffs and a few Drews.

Those hoping for Indiana Jones to deliver a treasure have been left with empty hands. Excuse my puns and harbingers. It is old stale 9/11 all over again. A terrible tragedy but we still have to catch the dracos, sorry I mean the culprits.

Indy good afternoon to you from Amman,

Thanks for your reply, it is just that we seem to be living on two different planets. Are we looking at the same company with objectivity and memories of our past expectations based on the people we claim we know well and are able to work with. Specifically I am referring here to your long standing relationship with Drew. You have praised him a lot in the past and credited him with vision, skills and capacity to deliver.

Your reply talks about Trident and present links with WSGI. That is not the point at all, we have a past history of your expert statements and involvement with WSGI that have come to nothing. I am just trying to follow-up here, not spinning a new take of contacts and possible future developments. If the past developments have come to nothing, how can you have new credible developments?

Tell me where I come from and I will tell you where I am going.

I was and remain interested in your take as a shareholder and past consultant to the Argus development project (Do you remember when you were posting about your involvement in the Argus?

I posted last February, quoting you on Drew's presentation and future intentions. There has been no follow-up on that to date. Could you please be so kind to re-read my message below and give this board an update where you think the company is today on those intended Argus plans and statements?

One of the options might as well be: "That you have no information on the Argus and that your friend Drew has not delivered as planned".

Full stop, what a bit of fresh air coming from the same planet that would be!

Thanks in advance and best as ever

montanar Monday, 02/23/15 04:58:26 PM
Re: indyjonesohio post# 156059
Post # of 156302

Indy,

thanks for your reply, indeed coherent and in line with my wildest dreams.

But as Cole mentions when you talk of "a coherent strategy that includes stratospheric airship development would be articulated..." unfortunately besides the re-alignment in assets, governance and staff for everybody to see, in terms of a company coherent strategy based on the Argus technology and anything stratospheric there is nothing, zero, zilch to hang on.

This is from your summary from the last SHM:
indyjonesohio Tuesday, 07/29/14 01:55:30 PM

..............
The business case for the Argus One airship has again risen to the forefront as the market searches for technology that will link all parts of the world to the Internet and how that next step in connectivity will change lives around the world. The same can be said for the company’s work horse- GTC. GTC’s opportunities will continue to grow as we place more resources on marketing and sales channels within the US.

and more..............


3. Rapid development of our airship division

On July 8 we completed a written comprehensive business case and technology analysis for our airship division. In that business case it became clear that the best use of our Argus One prototype is to continue to refine the middle altitude capabilities of the Argus and continue to seek military and commercial partners in the United States and abroad through marketing partners such as Trident and EWA Government Systems.

As a secondary priority, we will attempt to develop it for stratospheric operations with a Google-Loon size miniaturized communications payload. In the decade since Sanswire attempted to execute a high altitude airship technology other vendors such as Google have miniaturized effective payload size substantially. We expect to approach developers of such Commercial Off-The Shelf miniaturized payloads seeking cooperation in testing them upon an adapted version of the Argus.

We have a growing team of strong partners, we have determination and a clear plan so it is time to execute our plans regarding the Argus One. Like the moonshot, it will have key milestones along the way and we will keep you informed." ditto.

Guess the last bit from the horse's mouth, I mean "ton cher ami" Mr Drew "Like the moonshot, it will have key milestones along the way and we will keep you informed." Would translate in French as "c'est de la pure demagogie"

Bien a toi, amicalement ton monty

PS: And by the way when Drew says "We have a growing team of strong partners" I as a shareholder am still waiting to be introduced.

Jet, thanks a lot for pointing our Indy's stance on the Argus, I posted earlier asking him to position himself as to his statements concerning the Argus made by management (Drew)during the last SHM and he carefully avoided answering on the lack of any progress on the Argus while of course spinning the tale and fuzzing the logic of what a good company performance and accountability should be in terms of standards and compliance.

Indy has revealed himself as a smooth, smart but untrustworthy stakeholder. No trust in him left JMHO

It sounds and reads like what WSGI should be doing, but it is not WSGI.

The company has become an empty shell. There is nobody left to do any work.


Sky Dragon Airship Completes Critical Design Review -

http://www.uasvision.com/2015/03/04/sky-dragon-airship-completes-critical-design-review/#more-35683

The Sky Dragon is designed to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance during day and night missions using an electro-optic/infrared sensor. It also incorporates moving map software, and a moving target indicator radar allows operators to track targets from a distance of some 230km (140 miles) in all directions, covering more than 62,000 square miles (16m ha, 40m acres) at a time, the company says. - See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2015/03/04/sky-dragon-airship-completes-critical-design-review/#more-35683

Indy,

thanks for your reply, indeed coherent and in line with my wildest dreams.

But as Cole mentions when you talk of "a coherent strategy that includes stratospheric airship development would be articulated..." unfortunately besides the re-alignment in assets, governance and staff for everybody to see, in terms of a company coherent strategy based on the Argus technology and anything stratospheric there is nothing, zero, zilch to hang on.

This is from your summary from the last SHM:
indyjonesohio Tuesday, 07/29/14 01:55:30 PM

..............
The business case for the Argus One airship has again risen to the forefront as the market searches for technology that will link all parts of the world to the Internet and how that next step in connectivity will change lives around the world. The same can be said for the company’s work horse- GTC. GTC’s opportunities will continue to grow as we place more resources on marketing and sales channels within the US.

and more..............


3. Rapid development of our airship division

On July 8 we completed a written comprehensive business case and technology analysis for our airship division. In that business case it became clear that the best use of our Argus One prototype is to continue to refine the middle altitude capabilities of the Argus and continue to seek military and commercial partners in the United States and abroad through marketing partners such as Trident and EWA Government Systems.

As a secondary priority, we will attempt to develop it for stratospheric operations with a Google-Loon size miniaturized communications payload. In the decade since Sanswire attempted to execute a high altitude airship technology other vendors such as Google have miniaturized effective payload size substantially. We expect to approach developers of such Commercial Off-The Shelf miniaturized payloads seeking cooperation in testing them upon an adapted version of the Argus.

We have a growing team of strong partners, we have determination and a clear plan so it is time to execute our plans regarding the Argus One. Like the moonshot, it will have key milestones along the way and we will keep you informed." ditto.

Guess the last bit from the horse's mouth, I mean "ton cher ami" Mr Drew "Like the moonshot, it will have key milestones along the way and we will keep you informed." Would translate in French as "c'est de la pure demagogie"

Bien a toi, amicalement ton monty

PS: And by the way when Drew says "We have a growing team of strong partners" I as a shareholder am still waiting to be introduced.

Indy,

good evening from Italy, I would very much appreciate if you could provide your take and share with us your understanding of where the company is today in the development of any component of "airship technology". I have been left wondering for the last three months if not longer, as to where the company is heading and what (if any) airship technology is being developed. There is absolutely no information about this kind of activity coming out of the company, I have no idea who is on board doing just that either as company staff, company consultant or collaborating entity.

Thanks in advance for any factual information you may be willing or able to provide.

WBR

Jet,

good afternoon, agree in full with your statement. We have had no, repeat no update on the spiral development of the Argus technology for momths now,even during the last shareholders meeting there was no substantive update on any technology component.

The so called "new consultants" promised after the sales of the BiB have not materialized, Indy is beating the bush around, but he also has no photos, no news of any substance to contribute these days.

We hear the defense sector after "two years" shows a renewed interest in stratospheric LTA platforms, as if the defense sector is the be all and end all of the company managment full of vets (as in veterans) and frinds of the defense industry.

Managment is not delivering, first of all in terms of ideas and second in terms of actions following these ideas, this company is going down the drain in cheap talk and make believe.

JIMHO

Agree rwehapi just nothing seems to be happening.

Especially the kind of tech-lift effect we could have expected from academic partners joining, has not materialized, I am not aware of any names or entities that have joined the Argus effort or WSGI.

And I must say very disappointed with indy who has completely stopped providing any info on testing or any other technical element/involvement/understanding concerning the Argus development.

I can accept the need for confidentiality but complete radio silence is like well "the marketing stunt has been completed" now we sold the bib and we only have a shell of a company which will be deflated completely by next year.

Sorry being a pessimist but no light in sight as least from my perspective

GLTUA

Actually quarterly report just out.

Back to reading a little bit more

Quarterly Report (10-q)
Date : 11/14/2014 @ 4:01PM
Source : Edgar (US Regulatory)
Stock : World Surveillance Group Inc. (PC) (WSGI)
Quote : 0.0033 0.0004 (13.79%) @ 4:18PM

rwehapi I am always here, sitting and reading and waiting.....

Do we see "the possibility of new possibilities developing for both systemic change as well as product advancement".. just to paraphrase Indyjones. Well I for one, am not in the knowing.

Well to paraphrase donald runsfield as well, we have all sorts of unknowns,including the unknown-unknowns.....i.e. what we do not know we do not know.

At this point in time we, as shareholders, are holding on in the face of complete silence from the company. We know they can survive a little longer after the BiB sales, what else?

Soooo apart from sheer grit and hope on the unknown-unknowns as opposed to what we know that we know i.e. that the company as no viable product in sight to claim progress in the spiral development process LOL! What else?

Mind you statistically we have survived greater odds and uncertainties. But this in itself proves nothing, do we have here another version of the silence of the lambs? Meaning us shareholders as the lambs in question?

Rwehapi we have company from DRNA!

Both Frost and Erdberg are center piece in the Seeking Alpha interview

"Dr. Phillip Frost has validated my investment thesis
Drone Aviation just announced that Dr. Phillip Frost has invested in the company, and agreed to be chairman of the strategic advisory board."

AND

"The interview
I wanted to learn more about this cutting-edge technology, so I initiated an interview with Drone Aviation COO Dan Erdberg. Here are excerpts from that interview:
Question: What's your most important objective right now?
Dan: Right now our primary focus is to grow the revenues of Drone Aviation."

WSGI can only benefit from this

Zephir a solar powered pseudo satellite breaking endurance record

Pseudo-satellites The west wind blows afresh Economist
A cheap alternative to satellites is starting to take off
Aug 30th 2014 | From the print edition

IT TAKES chutzpah to tweet “rockets are tricky” shortly after one you have just launched has deliberately blown itself up. But Elon Musk, founder and boss of SpaceX, is not a man who lacks self-confidence, and he did just that on August 22nd after the terminal malfunction of one of his company’s Falcon 9 vehicles. That Arianespace, a French rival of SpaceX, announced on the same day that two satellites it had tried to launch to join the European Space Agency’s Galileo constellation (intended to rival America’s Global Positioning System), had entered a “non-nominal injection orbit”—in other words, gone wrong—shows just how difficult the commercialisation of space can be.
If spacecraft are so precarious, then perhaps investors should lower their sights. But not in terms of innovation; rather in altitude. Airbus, a European aerospace company, thinks that developing satellite-like capabilities without satellites is the answer. Hence the firm’s recent trial, at an undisclosed location (but one subject to Brazilian airspace regulations) of Zephyr 7, a high-altitude “pseudo-satellite”, or HAPS for short.
Zephyr (named after the Greek god of the west wind) is actually an unmanned, ultralight, solar-powered, propeller-driven aircraft. But it is designed, just as some satellites are, to hover indefinitely over the same part of the world. With a 23-metre wingspan and a weight of only 50kg, it is fragile and must remain above the ravages of the weather and the jet stream both by day and by night. It therefore flies at an altitude of around 21km (70,000 feet) during daylight hours, and then glides slowly down to around 15km when the sun is unavailable to keep it aloft.
Its solar cells, which are mounted on its wings, produce 1kW for every 1kg of panel. That power is fed into lithium-sulphur rechargeable batteries which can store 350 watt-hours per kilogram. (For comparison, the lithium-polymer batteries in iPhones store around 200 watt-hours per kilogram.) The result is a plane that can, potentially, stay aloft for months—though its longest test-run so far is a fortnight.
The Zephyr team achieved all this by following the principle of “adding lightness”—jettisoning anything that did not help make the aircraft fly higher and longer. That included the undercarriage. But Zephyr weighs so little and travels so slowly (about 12 knots, or 22kph, as it approaches the runway) that its landing is little more than a scrape.
Airbus plans to restrict the marketing of Zephyr’s commercial successors to places within 40° north or south of the equator. That will keep the plane away from latitudes where the winter day is too short for a full recharge, but this should not be too much of a handicap to the company’s marketing department, because almost 90% of the world’s population lives in these sunnier climes.
The main uses for satellites are observation and communication. Both are appealing markets for HAPS. Hovering drones could act as relays for telephone calls and internet traffic in places that do not have good enough infrastructure on the ground. And there is never a shortage of customers who would like to snoop on various parts of the Earth’s surface, whether for commercial or military reasons.
By satellite, such snooping is done from an altitude of about 800km. Zephyr flies at one-fortieth of that, so the optics its needs to take pictures are far less demanding. (Just as well, of course, for it is unlikely to be able to carry a huge payload.)
Airbus is not alone in the HAPS game. Google and Facebook are involved as well—and with similar customers in mind—though Google will also be its own customer, since keeping its Google Earth imagery up to date is a demanding task. Paul Brooks, spokesman for Airbus’s HAPS programme, says he does not see these firms as competitors, but rather as collaborators in proving the idea of endurance flight and promoting the changes in regulations needed to permit its safe use. Once this has happened, and the world’s aviation authorities have agreed common operating standards, HAPS should prove a cheap and reliable alternative to blasting things into orbit.
From the print edition: Science and technology Economist




Airbus Completes SatCom-controlled High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Zephyr 7 Test Flight


Airbus Defence and Space has announced that the Zephyr 7 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has just completed its most demanding mission to date and thus set a new benchmark in persistent, year-round operations for this class of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The test consisted of over 11 days of non-stop flight, in winter weather conditions with a new primary payload, including flight controlled through satellite communications – three more benchmarks reached by Zephyr 7.
HAPS run exclusively on solar power, which is used during the day to charge a battery that is used to power the flight through the night, so this flight in shorter days and longer nights was significantly more demanding than any previous one.
“During this most recent flight of the Airbus Zephyr, we successfully demonstrated a number of advancements that are critical to achieving the operational readiness of the technology and that increase its operational value for our customers,” said Jens Federhen, Head of the Airbus HAPS programme. “We have furthermore reached an important milestone in our regulatory roadmap.”
The flight, which was executed for the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD), was approved in controlled airspace, which required the close cooperation of the Military Aviation Authority (MAA), the Type Airworthiness Authority (TAA) and the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) team of the MOD Defence Equipment and Support Group, leading to the Zephyr 7 being assigned its military registration, PS001 – the first Pseudo-Satellite registered.
“This is the first time that the UK’s military aviation authorities have expanded our well-proven procedures and regulations into the domain of these novel, long-duration pseudo-satellites,” said Group Captain Paul Lloyd of the TAA, “and it has been both instructive and encouraging to see how effectively the regulations and the Airbus approach to Zephyr were brought together to enable such an operation.”
Apart from flying a new primary payload, Jens Federhen highlighted the fact that for the first time, satellite communications had been used to control and monitor the aircraft. “The use of the SatCom link to control the aircraft beyond line of sight of the ground station is another critical aspect that we needed to test to move towards a pseudo-satellite form of operation where the Zephyrs can be controlled across the world from a central control station,” he said, also pointing out the fact that this helps to further reduce the cost of service which is already low compared to other means.
The flight was a breakthrough in terms of proving the year-round capability of the Airbus Zephyr, as Chris Kelleher, the Technical Director of the Airbus HAPS programme, said. “While Zephyr 7 holds the world record for flight endurance and has flown continuously ten times longer than any other UAV, all previous long duration flights have been carried out in the summer months when the longer days, shorter nights and better weather make flights significantly easier. This latest flight was undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere winter so the aircraft had to show it could remain operational through the longer nights, re-charge sufficiently in the shorter periods of daylight and cope with the harsher weather conditions. ”
This most recent flight allowed over 250 hours of flight testing of the Zephyr 7 prototype, which will now be used to refine the final design of Zephyr 8, the next-generation HAPS vehicle currently being developed by Airbus.
Source: Press Release
- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/09/02/airbus-completes-satcom-controlled-high-altitude-pseudo-satellite-zephyr-7-test-flight/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.pAot9bCi.dpuf

Indy,

good morning and who knows? Perhaps more obscure than yours but with the same nostalgia of the good old days, especially in economic terms let me ask a shadow question from 1957:

"BUT WHO IS JOHN GALT?"

insighter,

good evening to you and in full agreement with your statement. I am glad to see a number of posters showing consideration and appreciation for the kind of open innovation philosophy Indy advocates on this forum.

Considering his competency and direct involvement with the science and technology being developed by the consortium of which WSGI is an integral part, I am very grateful to Indy for the personal time and consideration he gives to all of us on this board.

I think he is having fun but also appreciates the positive contributions we try to make.

I am 61 and have been and active investor for more than 25 years. I try to bring my grain of salt to this board and need some company.

Once I wrote that on this board I have seen some of the long-standing shareholders exhibiting an almost cult-like dedication to the company.

Well the Sanswire company since 2006, has changed name many times and still we have some of those investors, including myself ready to stay on, read, learn and respect and acknowledged the community of posters that make a real contribution.

For me this board is a natural experiment. In a world of finance where everything is rigged this board stands out as genuine. This is the "natural" side of it.

Rocky301, Axel Larator, Willkiam FL, Warpcore, Vern, Mide just a few names that come to my mind and allow me to celebrate, in spite of the fact that even the IHub owner was at some point investigated and if I remember correctly fined or sentenced.

And the beat goes on, as a Frenchman (but not only) I would say "a la guerre comme a la guerre" and once again thanks a lot for your contributions Indy.

Let us keep the ball rolling

Indy,

not sure why but you mention your CEO Monsieur Drew West and suddenly out of the blue his name keeps popping up again in the most unlikely of places. I am sure you were as surprised as the rest of us. LOL!

C'est vraiment une etrange coincidence.

Well if we cannot get a photo of the BiB in Ohio can we at least get a photo of our new Chairman of the Board?

Et bien sur, mabrouk, felicitations Monsieur West et bienvenue a bord de cette entreprise.

Really happy about the news.

Indy,

good evening, busy all day at the beach (just joking)

Tried to open the Ohio BiB 100 Demo file on drop box but it is empty, guess the photos have been taken down by my wife (she does that occasionally) You know how French people are, especially wives.....

On my side 36 years of the same French connection makes for more then one enjoyable bumpy ride as the saying goes "never look back, it is too dangerous!"

The words demo AND DELIVERY keep resonating, congrats WSGI!

Well Indy would not mind another chance to have a look at the photos, if at all possible.

And congrats to your CEO sure he knows what he is doing. ;)

FAA Set To Approve 'Limited' Commercial Drone Use In US Skies
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/03/2014 19:33 -0400
Wall Street Journal

Citing "tangible economic benefits," the FAA has decided that the current prohibitions against commercial uses of drones in US skies can be lifted. As WSJ reports, Federal regulators said they are considering exempting a handful of companies working for the film and television industry with proposed rules for small drones are expected to be issued by the end of the year, though they aren't likely to become final until 2015 or later. While law-enforcement agencies already can rely on procedures to obtain FAA approval to fly some of the largest models in designated airspace, this shift by the FAA opens the door to the thousands of drones expected to plague US skies in the next few years.

As The Wall Street Journal reports,

Federal regulators said they are considering exempting a handful of companies working for the film and television industry from current prohibitions against commercial uses of drone aircraft in U.S. skies.

Monday's move by the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't immediately end those restrictions. But it signals that the agency, after months of controversy and pressure from drone proponents to allow some limited commercial flights, is looking to end the legal logjam by fairly quickly authorizing some independent cinematography companies and individuals to use drones.

If the exemptions are granted, such photo and video applications would have for the first time explicit FAA approval under specific conditions. The decision could open the door to other industry-by-industry exemptions—something drone manufacturers and users have been advocating for some time.

...

In its announcement, the FAA cited the "tangible economic benefits as the agency begins to address the demand for commercial [drone] operations." But the agency said all "associated safety issues must be carefully considered to make sure any hazards are appropriately mitigated" before the FAA gives the green light.

The FAA said the Motion Picture Association of America "facilitated the exemption requests on behalf of their membership."

Of course, there's always the privacy concerns...(via The Washington Times)

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems, the leading trade group for the nation’s private-sector drone operators, estimated this year that the commercial drone industry will create more than 100,000 jobs and generate more than $82 billion in economic impact over the next 10 years — if the government moves quickly to establish workable operating regulations and safeguards.

The impending boom has raised concerns among privacy advocates about how and where drones might be used to collect data. The FAA is requiring future test sites to develop privacy plans and make them available to the public. The policy also requires test site operators to disclose how data will be obtained and used.

“Make no mistake about it, privacy is an extremely important issue and it is something that the public has a significant interest and concern over and we need to recognize as an industry that if we are going to take full advantage of the benefits that we are talking about for these technologies we need to be responsive to the public’s concerns about privacy,” Mr. Huerta said.

But then again "tangible economic benefits" will trump any of those concerns... we are sure.

Pagan,

I really like your sense of humor and would love to see picture(s) of Argus as well.

In fact the more pictures Indy is going to share the better. He has mentioned towing an LTA in Ohio and wanting to send pictures of that as well.

I think a few of us are just waiting here with a (great) sense of anticipation.

Let us see and GLTUA.

Indy,

good morning and thanks as usual for the info you are willing to share with this board. I find it very useful and informative.

Really looking forward to the photos you are going to post after the demo.

Have a good day all

Indy you are a lifeline of hope and knowledge thanks.

Can almost see you in Florida from Dominica.

And yes please please please take just one pic and share it with us on this board.

A good day to all

PS: You are about to reach your 2000th post on this discussion board. Happy Anniversary! Hope you reach 4000 before we all go up in the air. LOL

Run, good morning

TAO has been doing equipment testing for the skydragon, booster technology, optimized isolation etc.

They have not sent the skydragon to the stratosphere, they are working on components and testing them separately. But they are working on it nonetheless.

The race to the stratosphere has already been won by Titan Aerospace

http://www.uasvision.com/2014/04/16/google-buys-titan-aerospace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.ZVkaQ99A.dpuf

but with a different technology and Strat LTAs remain a valid alternative once developed of course. JIMHO

And GLTUA

rewehapi

good evening, your post is opening up all sorts of possibilities as to the WSGI/LTSA relationship, during first acquisition, second product development (BiB/WASP) and third sales and separation.

You had my head spinning as to some of the implications in particular when you say:

"Maybe the only way for LTAS to get the contract is for it to be distanced from WSGI. Better to get something by selling rather than holding onto it and get nothing."

My gut feeling is that Glenn Estrella and Kevin Hess have until the end worked hand in hand with somebody on the DAC side that we have yet to come to know a little bit better. DAC has been a willing partner and ready to pay for LTAS at a premium, not a discounted price.

To try to chip in with your comments, I think that to start with, LTAS joined WSGI because of WSGI capacity to access the market, through its management and as a listed company and because of the Argus.

The problems with legacy funding and La Jolla related issues have definitely negatively impacted on the financial viability of WSGI but they were not central to the acquisition of LTAS. They are however central to its sales.

Again I believe this deal given the WSGI need for cash has been a win win situation for all those involved.

Be real,

good day to you. I have posted on Google and Facebook developments several times in the recent past and was hoping for at least a company statement that acknowledges that these two very big players are intent on becoming leaders in developing strat platforms for civilian purposes.

The fact that they are both mentioned in the letter to SH and in the context of the Argus development means the company is spot on, aware and definitely doing its best to position itself as a credible R&D partner to either FB or Google.

The need for cash was paramount and in the absence of revenues LTAS has been sold.

But the Argus was and remains the core business of WSGI.

The BiB/WASP was an LTAS product really, even if at the start the first BiB was a very poor product (do you remember the Zeppelin shaped prototype? It was pathetic :).

But Kevin had all the technology within its own company and made the BiB a reality now going to return to Network Integration Experiment 14.2 as a Baseline System.

Accepting to become part of WSGI was a market driven decision for LTAS (JIMHO) that speaks tons for the kind of premium our management is able to ask and ABLE to get from the market.

We got LTAS with no capital and now we are selling it at a profit to DAC.

Did anyone notice that?

On which account or magic trick was that ever going to be possible?

The company just had an Argus concept in the wings so to speak and nothing to show for it really. And still has. Where are the believers here?

The same Argus related premium is at work first with the creation of the Argus Consortium (of which Indy is part) and now the newly group of consultants.....

Are we just selling smoke? Can we mention Google and Facebook for real or is it just a joke? Argus is not a joke, again JIMHO.

I think this is our best chance ever.

Sami,

thanks a lot for your research and references on the Meyer Nutating Disc engine. I have been chasing up your threads and read the AVETEC report.

Really appreciated we just have to hope for the best at least for the BiB/WASP I am not convinced the Argus development is anywhere near some kind of market event.

Best as ever

Ren,

thanks very much for chasing the "rabbit down the whole". The thesis work on hybrid propulsion systems for UAVs was prepared in 2010, somehow I hope we have moved on during the last three years especially when it comes to miniaturization, one of Indy's stated main comparative advantages for LTAs when weight concerns are out of the way.

Where we are with solar technology today is best exemplified by Google acquisition of Titan.

What does that mean? This is from the WSJ article of 16 April, 2014

"This person said Facebook’s acquisition talks with Titan lasted weeks. After the talks were disclosed, Titan was approached by Google, which said it could beat whatever price Facebook was offering. The talks broke down and Facebook set its sights on other companies, the person added."

Thanks Rattle very much for the news, positive and with the share price going up plus Indy silence (having been finally asked to stop postings on this board by his masters) all this may add to some significant news being released in the not too far distant future.

Indy works for the Trident Group and he is primarily working on the Argus, if this beast is moving forward (thinking Google Loon recent acquisition of Titan):

From the K-10 Annual Rpt. "On August 27, 2013, we signed a teaming agreement with three other companies to establish a consortium to further develop, test and commercialize our other LTA UAS product, the Argus One. As part of the agreement, the Argus One development program was relocated to Ohio from its prior location in Easton, Maryland. In addition to World Surveillance Group, the initial partners in the consortium are: The Trident Group, Ltd., based in Dublin, Ohio (Trident), EWA Government Systems, Inc., based in Herndon, VA and with an office in Dayton, Ohio (EWA GSI) and Advanced Virtual Engine Test Cell, Inc., based in Springfield, Ohio (Avetec)."

And the Argus has been through significant testing since last August, again from the K-10 Annual Rpt.

"After transfer to the Ohio LTA UAS Consortium, the Argus One was immediately dispatched to the Electronic Warfare Associates Engineering Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. There it underwent static testing, inspection and design assessment. When this was completed, the propulsion and avionics pod of the Argus One was separated from the envelope assembly for installation at the Center for UAV Exploitation (CUE) in Dayton, Ohio that is co-located with the United States Air Force (USAF) Rapid Prototyping Center. The CUE is a supporting partner of the Consortium and this is presently the only commercial product under testing and development within the facility. Beside avionics and flight control testing, the pod will also be evaluated there for the possible installation of a hybrid propulsion system similar to types presently under development by the USAF."

I remember Indy specifically focusing his attention on the Argus propulsion system as being key to successful development.

Now connecting dots that do not exist, but if the "the new ducted fan/vectored thrust propulsion system, aka the propulsion and avionics pod" has been successfully developed we now have a static envelope with "automated control for individual modules for improved flight stability and aerodynamic body control" and the right propulsion system to fly over New Zeland for example...... and join Google.

Just a dream of course, but what if dreams come true?

Just finished scanning the 10-K Yearly Report, we are at a water shed with not much of maneuvering space left.

No contracts= No funding = No viable company.

Based on the K-10 "We offer share-based compensation programs to our officers, directors and employees that consist of employee stock options, common stock and restricted stock awards."

It looks like Hulo Anita S.Jackson Wayne and Pruett Kevin have all been paid with some additional shares beginning of April.

WSGI has 7 employees and all are essential, hopefully there is some BiB contracts coming.

Happy Easter and GLTUA

More on Google and Titan, interesting article with good analysis of technology issues but also giving an insight on commercial interests and battles. I am sure WSGI and the Argus have come on the radar screen of both companies. No news in this case can only be bad news for the moment. GLTUA

A wish a good day to all.

Google Buys Titan Aerospace 16.04.14
Google Inc. on Monday acquired a maker of solar-powered UAS —a startup that Facebook Inc. had also considered acquiring—as the technology giants battle to extend their influence and find new users in the far corners of the earth.
Google didn’t disclose the purchase price for New Mexico-based Titan Aerospace, which is developing jet-sized drones that are intended to fly nonstop for years. Google said the technology could be used to collect images and offer online access to remote areas.
Facebook had been in talks to buy Titan earlier this year, but Google offered to top any Facebook offer, according to a person familiar with the matter. Facebook later agreed to pay $20 million for Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company that also has been working on solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle.
The UAS makers are on the leading edge of a promising but largely unproven technology to beam Internet access to parts of the world not served by telephone wires or cellphone towers. However, industry observers say there are still technical challenges to overcome. Even Amazon.com Inc., which is developing less sophisticated aerial vehicles for short-hop deliveries, says its UAS remain four or five years in the future before regular use.
Titan and its roughly 20 employees would stay in New Mexico and the company would continue to be run by Chief Executive Vern Raburn, a technology-industry veteran who previously headed Symantec Corp. and Microsoft Corp.’s consumer-products division.
Founded in 2012, the Moriarty, N.M., aerospace company confirmed its sale to Google on its website on Monday, and referred further media inquiries to Google’s press office. Google said Titan would work closely with its Project Loon, which is building large, high-altitude balloons that send Internet signals to areas of the world that are currently not online. Titan also may work with Makani, another early-stage Google project that is developing an airborne wind turbine that it hopes will generate electricity efficiently.
Google has confirmed it is buying drone maker Titan Aerospace for an undisclosed amount. WSJ’s Google reporter Alistair Barr joins the News Hub to discuss Silicon Valley’s new version of Star Wars. Photo: Getty Images.
One reason Facebook and Google are veering toward solar-powered aircraft is that balloons are at the mercy of weather, said Kurt Barnhart, director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University. Balloons “are larger and harder to control,” he said, while solar power is a better choice for unmanned aircraft than batteries, which can only keep aircraft afloat for an hour or two. Fossil fuels are more expensive and would require regular refueling.
Areas of focus for Google’s teams include advanced material design for lightweight flying vehicles and algorithms for wind prediction and flight planning, Google said.
Titan has said its drones could collect real-time, high-resolution images of the earth, carry other atmospheric sensors and support voice and data services. That type of technology could help Google businesses, such as its Maps division.
“It is still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation,” a Google spokesman said in a statement.
Titan is developing two dragonfly-shaped drones powered by batteries charged by wing-mounted solar panels to remain aloft at night. The smaller model, the Solara 50, has a 164-foot wingspan, larger than a Boeing Co. 767 jetliner.
Titan claims that its drones can help deliver data at speeds of up to one gigabit a second using special communications equipment. That would be significantly faster than broadband speeds available in most developed countries.
The company has said it expects “initial commercial operations” in 2015. However, experts say there are many technical challenges to overcome before such services become a reality.
“The problem with solar planes is that they are limited to smaller payloads, at night you are not collecting energy from the sun and it takes a lot of power to broadcast Internet signals,” said Patrick Egan, a drone expert and an editor of sUAS News, a website covering the unmanned aircraft industry.
Facebook began reviewing solar-powered drones about six months ago, according a person briefed on the company’s “connectivity lab,” a group focused on finding new ways to provide Internet services to places that are not online.
This person said Facebook’s acquisition talks with Titan lasted weeks. After the talks were disclosed, Titan was approached by Google, which said it could beat whatever price Facebook was offering. The talks broke down and Facebook set its sights on other companies, the person added.
Google declined to comment on details of its Titan talks.
As part of its work on a possible deal, Facebook had tested Titan’s technology, and researchers at the startup were able to get a solar-powered aircraft 400 feet off the ground for a few minutes. Members of Ascenta worked on another solar-powered drone, called Zephyr, that stayed in the air for two weeks above the Arizona desert in 2010.
Despite such problems, the potential for Internet service delivered from high-altitude drones or balloons is presumed to be large, suggesting a reason for Google and Facebook to pursue the technology.
“If they can get past the technical challenge, they could build proprietary networks offering Internet and wireless bandwidth that are worth billions and billions of dollars,” Mr. Egan said.
Facebook and Google potentially could reach millions of new customers for their services as more of the world gets online, and the companies could also sell their bandwidth to other providers, he explained.
The biggest opportunity may be in the developing world, where Google and Facebook are battling to be the first point of contact. The search giant has its Android mobile operating system, which last year captured 79% world-wide market share of smartphones shipped, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics.
Facebook hopes to boost its user base in poorer countries with two projects, including a version of its service tuned for cheap, feature phones called “Facebook for Every Phone.” Another product, Facebook Zero, was launched in 2010 and is a stripped down mobile website launched in concert with mobile operators who don’t charge data fees when the service is used.
Facebook’s plans to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion also gives it a new weapon to attract users in the developing world. The WhatsApp messaging app is particularly popular in countries such as India where telecom carriers still routinely charge for standard text messages.
Source: Wall Street Journal
- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/04/16/google-buys-titan-aerospace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.ZVkaQ99A.dpuf

Yes indeed it was 5 March when UAS published the news (among others)

Facebook in Talks to Acquire Titan Aerospace for $60 - See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/05/facebook-in-talks-to-acquire-titan-aerospace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.Z6ZwAXUI.QNqU3ETl.dpuf

but also and then

Facebook Launches Solar-Powered UAS Internet Project Team
http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/31/facebook-announces-solar-powered-uas-internet-project-team/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29

and now it is Google gobbling Titan.

The Loon project can work with balloons that have no propulsion in the Southern hemisphere using strat currents at different altitudes and going in opposite directions (this is an oversimplification)to achieve persistent coverage but the same "passive drift" approach cannot work at other latitudes. They need control of the platforms with a propulsion element.

Titan can offer additional options to achieve this.


Argus technology solution, the TAO Skydragon direct competitor to become a high altitude platform is needed as well, JIMHO.

Who is going to team up with Google??? TAO or WSGI?

Vertical multi pronged efforts are needed. Indy what is your take on this with the Argus?

Is anybody talking to Google?

Best and GLTUA

Facebook and Google conquering the stratosphere.... and the beat goes on. These are big players bent to make a difference. Can WSGI hitch a ride??

Especially Google technology choice resonates with the Argus, foxholes and the like...

Best to all for the week.

Facebook Launches Solar-Powered UAS Internet Project Team
http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/31/facebook-announces-solar-powered-uas-internet-project-team/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29
According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Larry Page, the future of the Internet lies in the upper stratosphere. Facebook announced that it has set up a team to work on solar powered aircraft that would circle at a height of 20 kilometers to provide Internet access to suburban areas of the world where connectivity is scarce.
The only trouble is, that’s territory already staked out by Google for the fleet of high altitude balloons at the heart of its own plan to improve access to the Internet in poor regions of the world. Google has carried out test flights of the balloons already, and says they will operate at between 18 and 27 kilometers above the Earth.
Both companies have chosen those heights because they put their craft far above weather and commercial air traffic. Neither has said anything about how their balloons or drones might detect and avoid one another.
Google and Facebook have also settled on different modes of transporting data back down to Earth. Google’s trials have used radio to link the balloons to volleyball-sized antennas mounted onto homes or businesses. Facebook has plans to equip its drones with infrared lasers, which can be used for data connections approaching the speed of fiber optic cables. The company is also interested in using satellites the same way.

Both companies will have to fight most of their battles on the ground if they are serious about expanding Internet access significantly, though. When MIT Technology Review’s David Talbot looked into Facebook’s plans late last year he found a thicket of local political and economic issues impeding the spread of Internet connectivity in the developing world today. Those problems, along with the stratosphere, will need to be conquered if the drones or balloons are to succeed (see “Facebook’s Two Faces”).
Source: MIT Technology R
- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/31/facebook-announces-solar-powered-uas-internet-project-team/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.IMgCtLfe.dpuf

Dear IHubbers,

we have the BIB but they have the BAT (buoyant airborne turbine) amazing BUT true. Wonderful application of similar technologies.

Hope you enjoy the reading!!

mar 24, 2014
altaeros energies high altitude wind turbine deploys at 1,000 feet above ground
TECHNOLOGY

the automated system harnesses high altitude winds to deploy low-cost power for remote and island communities »

the BAT uses a helium-filled, inflatable shell to lift it to high altitudes, where winds are stronger and more consistent than those reached by traditional tower-mounted turbines. high strength tethers hold the turbine steady and send electricity down to the ground. v

....the lifting technology is adapted from aerostats, industrial cousins of blimps, which have lifted heavy communications equipment into the air for decades. aerostats are rated to survive hurricane-level winds and have safety features that ensure a slow descent to the ground. in 2013, altaeros successfully tested a BAT prototype in 45 mph winds and at a height of 500 feet.

http://www.designboom.com/technology/altaeros-energies-high-altitude-wind-turbine-03-24-2014/

Sami,

from the foxhole on the way to the stratosphere as of today we also have this:

THE STRATOBUS

StratoBus – Halfway Between Drone and Satellite
Mar 24, 2014 08:45 am | The Editor

The StratoBus project offers long endurance and complete autonomy from a fixed position. StratoBus, a surprising vehicle halfway between a drone and a satellite, will be able to carry out a wide range of missions, including observation, security, telecommunications, broadcasting and navigation… and it offers a lifespan of five years.The StratoBus project is led by Thales […]

http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/24/stratobus-halfway-between-drone-and-satellite/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29


I have a sense of deja-vu here with a lot hype and graphic design, reinventing the wheel and more. Well Argus Argus show yourself up please!

Rattle,

Good morning and thanks. One more related news from UAS. The big guys (L3-DARPA) are all into the networking technology at the warfigther level.

What the WASP has to offer is a unique platform for all and every application with the following army friendly characteristics/capabilities (all relative of course):

Cheap
Multipurpose
Endurance
High payload
Ruggedness
Simple SOP
Tactically defensive versus offensive

Well guess that is enough, is it not? LOL!


L-3 Communications to Help DARPA Build UAS-Based Internet System

L-3 Communications won a $16.4 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — DARPA. L-3 will be supporting Phases 2 and, if the appropriate contract option is exercised, also Phase 3 of the DARPA mobile hotspots programme.

As DARPA explains, this project aims to provide “high-bandwidth communications for troops in remote forward operating locations” lacking access to traditional wired Internet.

Providing high-bandwidth communications for troops in remote forward operating locations is not only critical but also challenging because a reliable infrastructure optimized for remote geographic areas does not exist. To overcome the challenge of data transmission in remote areas, the Agency’s Mobile

Hotspots program intends to develop and demonstrate a scalable, mobile, millimeter-wave communications backbone with the capacity and range needed to connect dismounted warfighters with forward-operating bases (FOBs), tactical operations centers (TOCs), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, and fixed communications infrastructure. The backbone should also provide reliable end-to-end data delivery between hotspots, as well as from ISR sources and command centers.

The program envisions air, mobile and fixed assets, most of which are organic to the deployed unit, that provide a gigabit-per-second tactical millimeter-wave backbone network extending to the lowest-echelon warfighters. To achieve this capability, the program seeks to develop advanced millimeter-wave pointing, acquisition and tracking (PAT) technologies that are needed to provide high connectivity to the forward-located mobile hotspots.

Advanced PAT technology is key for connectivity to small UAVs, for example, enabling them to serve as flying nodes on the mobile high-speed backbone. Additionally, the program seeks novel technologies to increase the transmission power of millimeter-wave amplifiers to provide adequate ranges within the small size, weight, and power (SWAP) constraints required for company-level unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/17/l-3-communications-to-help-darpa-build-uas-based-internet-system/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.zaGLl2Vg.dpuf

Merlin,

good to hear from you. Glad to see that Barbara is now Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary.

The fact that she is holding out in there is a very good sign.

Her last entry as gypsy Tammy in her palace dates back to July 2011, how time flies. She has given up a life of pleasures and wandering to join the company and she is still there.

That is good for all of us shareholders.

I note the first sale took place on 14th Jan, 2014 and 65k out of a 250K offering have found a bidder. Not sure though if that was then at the time of the SEC notice. Would like to know if all the offer has been covered.

Any takers? Best as ever and again good to know you are out there. When do you think the next BiB/WASP sales announcement should materialize, stars and all?

MM and Ren,

thanks for the info highly relevant to the way Argus could contribute. As you said,the industry is looking more and more this way with strats, skydragons, atmosats, ballons you name it.

If only the spiral development of Argus could reach production stage :)

UAS has also picked up the thread (see below)

We now have google and Loon for All (Balloon powered internet for everyone) and the Atmospheric Satellite Revolution with Facebook Titan (planned) acquisition as a proper answer “atmosats", to Google determined drive for internet market share acquisition. Focus, focus, focus and not from a military perspective, I love it.

Obviously Africa is the prize but not the only one, if you control the main hardware provider technology you control content at least to some extent.

Argus Argus where are you?

Titan has an investor relation page but it leads nowhere. I would buy shares immediately if I could, any advice on this much welcomed. TIA and a very nice day to all IHubbers

Quote"

Facebook in Talks to Acquire Titan Aerospace for $60M UAS 05.03.14
Facebook, one of the primary backers of the Internet.org initiative, which aims to bring affordable Internet access to the 5 billion people in the world who still lack connectivity, is in talks with a company that could help further that agenda. Facebook is buying Titan Aerospace, makers of near-orbital, solar-powered UAS which can fly for five years without needing to land. According to a source with access to information about the deal, the price for this acquisition is $60 million.
Facebook is interested in using these high-flying UAS to blanket parts of the world without Internet access, beginning with Africa. The company would start by building 11,000 of these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), specifically the “Solara 60? model. Titan’s UAS are “atmospheric satellites” that can conduct most of the operations of an orbital satellite, but are cheaper and more versatile. They could potentially have many uses, including weather monitoring, disaster recovery, Earth imaging, or communications, the company has said, but clearly Facebook would be interested in that latter part.

The Solara 50 and 60 models can be launched at night using power from internal battery packs, then when the sun rises, they can store enough energy to ascend to 20KM above sea level where they can remain for five years without needing to land or refuel. Such capabilities make them ideal for regional Internet systems, like those that Internet.org would be focused on. (For those interested, Ars Technica took a more in-depth look at the technology and history behind Titan’s aircraft last August).

Titan Aerospace is a privately held venture with R&D facilities in New Mexico.

The company has raised an undisclosed amount of funding through seed and Series A and A-1 rounds, and had announced in October 2013 it would open a B round soon. Titan is currently led by CEO Vern Raburn, previously founder and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. The company was founded in 2012 by Max Yaney (CTO), in order to produce what it refers to as “atmosats,” new types of UAS that do the work of near-Earth satellites at a fraction of the cost.

The designation of “satellites” is important here, as the idea has been to position these aircraft above the airspace that the FAA regulates in the U.S. Class A airspace ends at 60,000 feet stateside, and above that the U.S. doesn’t regulate, Fortune had pointed out last summer. That means the only issue in launching these in the U.S. would be the initial climb. In other parts of the world, the laws will, of course, vary. But in the developing markets Internet.org is focused on, it’s likely they’re not as far along in regulating such new technology.

Following the acquisition, all of Titan Aerospace’s production would be for the Internet.org project only, according to a source familiar with the matter.

- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/03/05/facebook-in-talks-to-acquire-titan-aerospace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feedutm_campaign=Feed%3A+UasVision+%28UAS+VISION%29#sthash.Z6ZwAXUI.dpuf

Absolutely agree and the time line is short at least for the re-call: April-May this year and then if baseline is succesfull what?

Orders and of which magnitude? Any informed opinion?

Thanks for pointing it out.