What is a Polar airplane?
The aircraft is a Basler BT-67, which is a retractable wheeled ski equipped undercarriage STOL aircraft. It is a remanufactured DC-3 with Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engine. The modifications include lengthened fuselage, increased MTOW, new avionics, redesigned wingtips etc. The skis are added in Canada.

Reports indicate that the aircraft includes an ice radar system, airborne gravimeter, airborne magnetometer and onboard laser radar system.

It is called a 'polar' airplane because it is owned by the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic_Administration. The aircraft is used by quite a few other missions in Antarctica, like Australia and the US, all operated by the Kenn Borek Air.