Kik36, the SR A1 was not a wing-in-ground effect airplane. In effect, the concept behind the Ekranoplanes is nothing new, not even at the time the Soviet started working on the Ekranoplanes. All aircraft and all pilots know that when landing, an aircraft has a tendency to 'stay in the air', because it creates an air cushion upon which it 'floats'.
The Soviet Ekranoplane programme was based on studies for a civilian transport/passenger plane that could at the time operate over longer distances than anything else engineers were trying to throw in the air. But in the Soviet society, it could only be developped through the interest of the military. Obviously, creating and operating gigantic airplanes that could transport troops and vehicles over large distances, at relatively great speeds and under radar cover, skimming over waves, was going to interest some military people. But in this case, not enough and not for long enough...