Mitsubishi Marquise/Solitaire

Overview

The Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Marquise is a pressurized, high-wing twin turboprop – the long-fuselage, top-of-line development of Mitsubishi’s MU-2, built into the mid-1980s on Garrett (now Honeywell) TPE331-10 engines. It is best known for going faster on less fuel than anything in its class: roughly 295 KTAS in cruise on about 74 GPH total, a speed-per-gallon the larger King Airs of its day could not match. The short-fuselage MU-2B-40 Solitaire shares this catalogue entry – it carries the same engines and systems in an airframe about six feet shorter, with a few seats fewer.

For the GA buyer, the Marquise is one of the fastest and most fuel-efficient pressurized cabin twins on the used market, and used prices run below a comparable King Air. The trade is a demanding airplane the FAA singles out for type-specific training: the MU-2 rewards a disciplined, current pilot and is unforgiving of a casual one.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Speed on little fuel. A 295-KTAS typical cruise – over 300 KTAS at higher power – on roughly 74 GPH total for both engines is the MU-2’s defining trait.
• Twin Garrett TPE331-10. Two TPE331-10-501M turboprops, flat-rated to 715 shp each, on four-blade constant-speed propellers; the high-output Garrett core of the late MU-2 line.
• Pressurized to the high 20s. A 6.1-psi cabin supports cruise to a 29,750-foot ceiling with a comfortable cabin altitude.
• Strong load and climb. A useful load near 3,900 lb and a two-engine climb around 2,200 fpm at the 11,575-lb gross.

Trade-offs

• Mandatory MU-2 type training (SFAR 108 / 14 CFR Part 91 Subpart N). The FAA requires type-specific initial and recurrent training, currency, and operating rules for every MU-2 pilot, a rule born of the type’s early accident record. Budget recurring training as a fixed cost of ownership, not an option.
• Demanding handling. The MU-2 rolls with spoilers rather than ailerons, uses full-span flaps, carries a high wing loading, and is unforgiving of sloppy speed control on approach and in single-engine work.
• 1980s airframes and Garrett discipline. The newest Marquises are mid-1980s; buyers inherit aging systems and the TPE331’s exacting hot-section and operating management, where an inexperienced operator runs up large bills.
• Two turbines to feed. Even at the MU-2’s frugal flows, two turboprops carry the fuel, reserve, and overhaul costs of a twin.

See Also

• Beechcraft King Air 90 – the classic cross-shop: roomier and more docile, but slower and thirstier than the MU-2. Compare
• Fairchild Swearingen Merlin IIIB – a comparable small pressurized cabin twin on the same Garrett TPE331 family. Compare
• Swearingen Merlin IVC – a larger, longer-cabin pressurized TP twin a tier up in size and price. Compare
• Twin Commander Jetprop 1000 – another fast pressurized cabin-class TP twin from the same used-market tier. Compare