Ground effects of course aren't new, the russians have been using them for years with the Caspian Sea Monster being the biggest:

Very odd looking machines with their stumpy little wings, and we know Ground Effect is also used in F1 too but with the opposite effect of sucking the car to the ground, not sure how that works though.

Interesting vid DD, and the James Bond music too 

Ground effects craft have been touted as the future of air frieght for some time, but we will see if that one ever "Takes off".

Oh god that was a truely awful pun, I just couldn't help myself though 

The main drawback is they can't operate in high wind (sea chop) conditions.

No good for a service.

As far as I'm aware the Caspian Sea Monster is capable of near normal flifgt at several hundred feet, so there must be solutions to this issue........

At several hundred feet you don't get the ground effect.

Use a prop plane.

Just found this on ekranoplans:

http://www.airforce.ru/en/ekranoplanes/ekranoplanes.htm

Haven't read it all yet but looks pretty good 

I would not mind getting a service call for one of those, Though they probably would not call a marine tech 

Been ages since I've seen anything to go in this tread, but:

http://innovation.uk.msn.com/tomorrow/are-supersonic-business-jets-the-future-of-flight

that thing looks super sleek and fast.

Love the looks of the QSST plane.

They are pretty impressive I have to say, totally agree with snowy as well on the QSST