The helicopter 'Snow Eagle', from China's Antarctic exploration team carried out its first operation on Monday, transferring goods from the icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, to the Zhongshan Station in eastern Antarctica. The "Snow Eagle" is the first Ka-32 helicopter China has used in its polar exploration. [Xinhua]

A helicopter from China's Antarctic exploration team carried out its first operation on Monday, transferring goods from the icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, to the Zhongshan Station in eastern Antarctica.

The "Snow Eagle," a Ka-32 helicopter, took off in the morning aboard the Xuelong icebreaker with 16 barrels of aviation kerosene on its first Antarctic flight.

It took the helicopter some five and a half hours to transfer 32 tons of goods, including 100 barrels of kerosene and snow vehicle parts, to the Chinese station.

The "Snow Eagle" is the first Ka-32 helicopter China has used in its polar exploration. The "Snow Eagle" has a good capability in high winds and a maximum speed of 255 km per hour, with a carrying capacity of 5 tons of goods and 14 passengers and is considered well-suited for polar exploration, logistics and rescue operation.

On October 11, the Xuelong left Shanghai with the exploration team for Antarctica.

Zhongshan Station, founded on February 26, 1989, is China's second station in Antarctica, following the Great Wall Station.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2009)