BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A new-generation short haul passenger aircraft solely developed in China has completed a successful trial flight, paving the way for commercial production next year, the manufacturer announced on Friday. The Xinzhou-600, developed by Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company (XAC) of the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), flew on Thursday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said the AVIC I. The turboprop aircraft was a new version of the Xinzhou-60 that can carry 50 to 60 passengers. The Xinzhou-600 had been updated with a more comfortable cabin and better designed body structure and maintenance system, said Geng Ruguang from the AVIC. It was also designed for inter-island flights, which would helpit in the Southeast Asia and island nation markets, Geng said.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/...nt_10177465.htm

It's an AN-26 and a Dash-8-Q400 smashed together!

Looks A LOT like an An-26 to me. I'll have to find more photos and really compare. China has a lot of industrial experience with the Antonov transports anyway. They've been license-building 'em for years.RhettFS box: E8500 (@ 3.80 ghz), AC Freezer 7 Pro, ASUS P5E3 Premium, BFG 8800GTX 756 (nVidia 169 WHQL), 4gb DDR3 1600 Patriot Cas7 7-7-7-20 (2T), PC Power 750, WD 150gb 10000rpm Raptor, Seagate 500gb, Silverstone TJ09 case, Vista Ultimate 64ASX Client: AMD 3700+ (@ 2.6 ghz), 7800GT