@ San Carlos, CA
October 2024
I was at the Hiller Aviation Museum for an outdoor event, and doing some slow speed panning practice, when I saw a twin on final approach. Thinking it was a King Air I didn’t react right away, but then I saw it was a Mitsubishi. A Mitsubishi MU-2B has been a resident at my local airport for many years and I’ve seen it airborne only once. A quick glance confirmed this was not that same one, and by now it was too late to change my settings. Luckily my new Z9 was able to nail a few frames of the landing at 1/50 sec.
First flown in 1963, the MU-2 is probably the most successful aircraft to come put of the postwar Japanese industry with over 700 produced from 1963-86. This aircraft was designed as a twin turboprop transport suitable for civil and military roles. The MU-2M seen here is a early short-fuselage variant, 27 were built. Pilot errors with this high-powered twin resulted in a high accident rate that marred the aircraft’s reputation. After the FAA implemented a MU-2 type rating, accident rates dropped below competing aircraft. In 2013, a MU-2 piloted by Mike Laver, and my late friend Mike Collins, performed an around-the-world flight in 25 days, 30 legs, covering 26,568 miles and 98.1 hrs flight time. September 14, 2013, was the fiftieth anniversary of the MU–2’s first flight, and Laver wanted to fly around the world and be in Nagoya, Japan for the anniversary.