Mitsubishi MU-2
The Mitsubishi Mu-2 is one of postwar Japan's most successful aircraft. It is a high-wing, twin-engine turboprop.The MU-2 was one of postwar Japan's most successful commercial aircraft types.
Development of the MU-2, Mitsubishi's first indigenous postwar design, began in the late 1950s. Designed as a light twin turboprop transport suitable for a variety of civil and military roles, the MU-2 first flew on September 14, 1963. This first MU-2 and the handful of MU-2As built were powered by Turboméca Astazou turboprops, all other models from the MU-2B onwards had Garrett TPE331s.
The MU-2 lineup can be divided up into two basic types, the standard fuselage and stretched fuselage models. The MU-2B, E, F, K, M, P and Solitaire feature the short fuselage, the others, including the Marquise, the stretched fuselage. The first stretched fuselage MU-2G flew on January 10, 1969.
The MU-2 was progressively improved and upgraded throughout its production life. Notable changes include improved and more powerful TPE331 engines, and four blade propellers from the N and P models.
Mitsubishi established a production facility for MU-2s in San Angelo, Texas in the USA in 1967 to build MU-2s for the North American and world markets. The San Angelo Mitsubishi International facility became the sole source of MU-2 production until 1986 when the line finally closed.
Mitsubishi certificated all the civil TPE331 powered MU-2s as variants of the MU-2B and they were thus given the MU-2B type number followed by a number. However, these MU-2s were also given a separate marketing designation with a sequential suffix letter. The MU-2B-10 is e.g. the MU-2D, and the MU-2B-36A is the MU-2N.
Four MU-2Cs and 16 MU-2Ks were delivered to the Japanese Army as LR-1s for the liaison and photo reconnaissance role, while 29 MU-2Es were delivered to the Japanese Air Force as search-and-rescue MU-2Ss, equipped with an extended "thimble" nose radome, increased fuel capacity, bulged observation windows, and a sliding entry door for dropping rafts.
In 2000 over 500 MU-2s were in use as corporate transports (mainly in the USA), while many have been converted as freighters.
The name comes from the letter Mu (μ) in the Greek alphabet.
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Specifications (MU-2B)
General Characteristics
- Crew: one or two pilots
- Capacity: seven passengers
- Length: 10.13 m (33 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 11.94 m (39 ft 2 in)
- Height: 3.94 m (12 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 16.5 m² (178 ft²)
- Empty: 2,422 kg (5,340 lb)
- Loaded: kg ( kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 4,050 kg (8,930 lb)
- Powerplant: 2x Garrett TPE331-25A, 430 kW (575 shp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 500 km/h (313 mph)
- Range: 1,930 km (1,206 mi)
- Service ceiling: m ( ft)
- Rate of climb: 331 m/min (1,086 ft/min)
- Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
- Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)
Related content
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