Do only long body MU2s have a flushing potty? And is it actually flushing? Or is it like a 421 potty? It seems like there’s so much bang for your buck with MU2s it looks like a nice step up from our A36....

I can’t find any confirming proof, but that’s my understanding: In the long body you give up 30 KIAS (and the interim potty stop?)

BWTHDIK

These planes really intrigue me. How do maintenance costs compare to say a 400 series twin Cessna? That’s really the only other plane in this price range that could fit the whole fam and bags

It would be pretty cozy inside for a flushing potty in a short body.
Pics below. There are 3 generous baggage areas to fit everything you can drive to the hangar...

The maintenance program is a combination of hours and years. Every year or 100 hours you are doing something. On the easy years it can be $5000 to $10,000 for a simple 100hr / 1yr (etc) inspection. Every 3 years (or 600 hours) there is a bit more which might be $15k to $25k. There is a biggie at 7500hrs. Expenses beyond that for boots, tires, consumables, etc are all same as any other plane.

We often go from inspection to inspection without any squawks or downtime and fly about 100 hours / year.

Like ANY airplane, your choice of maintenance provider and your relationship therewith will move the needle on Mx expense significantly.

Recall seeing one short model with a potty under the bench seat nearest the door.

Did not notice any provisions for privacy.

If I can locate the aircraft, will post it here.

While I was shopping for my Solitaire, I considered one that had a potty under the rear-facing seat on the right hand side. Basically the normal seat cushion could pull up and underneath was a potty. Think of it as closer to a camp-potty, certainly no flushing potty. But it was there. It did make that seat much "firmer" to sit in normally.

Works very well in the MU-2

http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/2632

Duuhhhhhh……!!!

MU-2F Model advertised here on BeechTalk.

viewtopic.php?f=43&t=148778

I think the typical speed differential between short and long body MU-2’s is more like 10 to maybe 15 knots, not 30 knots.
Both can have a potty, but short body planes rarely do and you’d need to use it among the others in the cabin (unlike a long body).
Maintenance has generally been less expensive per inspection than (for example) on my Aerostar, but I fly quite a bit and with inspections required every 100 hours, the MU-2 ends up costing more for maintenance than the Aerostar when both are flown about 150 to 200 hours per year. That said, the MU-2 develops virtually no squawks from one inspection to the next which has been rather refreshing (a broken windshield notwithstanding). I’ve only owned mine (short body -10) for a couple years, but it has been outstanding so far.

Thomas, it’s 25 to 30 knots difference, though the big gap is fl200 and above. Below they both just become redline limited.

Solitaire also has most range of all. I recently did 1320nm into a headwind.

They are impressive planes. Simple math is you will spend 70k to fly 100hrs at a minimum. If that scares you, they probably are not for you as most people seem to spend more than that. Sweet spot for flying and cost is either 100 hours or 200 hours per year.

Agree with tj that maint costs are a function of provider and owner involvement. That said, I have yet to see a sturdier GA plane.

Not for everyone, but for some there is nothing better !

That’s interesting. Those that fly Marquise aircraft have told me they usually plan around 290 knots. But like many airplanes, among different models and even among different airframes of the same models the speeds differ. I usually see around 300 if it’s hot (like ISA +15) and up to 320 or 325 when it’s cold, but I think mine is a bit faster (albeit louder with somewhat less range) than some other short bodies due to its configuration.
The thing that’s hard to measure without experiencing it is passenger comfort. There is abundant baggage space with one in cabin and two in rear fuselage (one of which is heated and pressurized) so the cabin remains uncluttered. My family can actually get up and move about a little, easily switching seats or moving into and out of the copilot’s seat with an actual “mini-aisle” or stretching out on the rear couch. These things were not practical in my prior planes. The high wing loading makes the plane just “thud” when we hit turbulence that makes other planes rattle and jump. My family loves the Mits...even though they still think it looks kinda homely compared to the Aerostar!

Splitting hairs a bit, but my '79 Marquise consistently cruised at 285 KTAS, depending on weight and temp. The difference between a -10 long body and a -10 short body, in my experience, is around 20 ktas +/- 5 knots.

Some of the landings I've seen of the short body, the nose comes down hard and fast. Is there something about the short body that causes that?

Yes, it has to do with where the gear is compared to the CG. In order to have the cabin door and rear seat where it needed to be, the short body MU-2’s have their main gear further behind the CG than the long body aircraft. I’ve never flown a long body, but I’m told they land pretty “normal.” In the short body (when flown with minimal baggage and especially when flown with just folks in the cockpit) is easy to land smooth on the mains, but you need to pull back on the yoke pretty well as the nose comes down and even then it is sometimes a bit “firm.” Leaving some power in helps, but it eats up a decent amount of runway (in my plane). As long as you arrest the descent rate before the mains touch, it’s not bad.