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Email: office@businessaviation.com
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MITSUBISHI MU-300 DIAMOND
Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond: The Japanese Pioneer
The 1978 Surprise from Nagoya
While American manufacturers dominated business aviation in the 1970s, Mitsubishi quietly built something revolutionary in Japan. The MU-300 Diamond, first flown in August 1978, was a computer-designed, supercritical-wing, twin-turbofan business jet that proved Japanese engineering could compete with Wichita.
Certified in 1981, the Diamond was fast, efficient, and surprisingly capable. But Mitsubishi wasn't interested in becoming a business jet manufacturer — they wanted to prove they could build one. In 1985, they sold the rights and unfinished airframes to Beechcraft, who transformed the MU-300 into the Beechjet 400.
Certified in 1981, the Diamond was fast, efficient, and surprisingly capable. But Mitsubishi wasn't interested in becoming a business jet manufacturer — they wanted to prove they could build one. In 1985, they sold the rights and unfinished airframes to Beechcraft, who transformed the MU-300 into the Beechjet 400.
Specifications That Started a Dynasty
• Range: 2,800 km (1,512 nm) — remarkable for the era
• Speed: 741 km/h (400 knots) — competitive with contemporary Learjets
• Capacity: 6 – 7 passengers in the compact cabin
• Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4D turbofans
• Wing: Supercritical design-advanced aerodynamics for reduced drag
The Diamond's legacy isn't in its production numbers (fewer than 100 built), but in its influence. Every Beechjet 400, 400A, and Hawker 400XP traces its DNA to Nagoya.
• Speed: 741 km/h (400 knots) — competitive with contemporary Learjets
• Capacity: 6 – 7 passengers in the compact cabin
• Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4D turbofans
• Wing: Supercritical design-advanced aerodynamics for reduced drag
The Diamond's legacy isn't in its production numbers (fewer than 100 built), but in its influence. Every Beechjet 400, 400A, and Hawker 400XP traces its DNA to Nagoya.
The Market Today
Pre-owned MU-300 Diamond aircraft are exceedingly rare — most were converted to Beechjet 400 standard or retired. When they appear, prices range $300,000 – $600,000 — collector's items for aviation historians.
The Verdict
The Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond is aviation's greatest "what if." What if Mitsubishi had stayed in the business jet market? What if the Diamond had competed directly with Cessna and Learjet?
For the buyer seeking a MU-300 Diamond, you're acquiring a unicorn — the Japanese jet that started an American dynasty.
For the buyer seeking a MU-300 Diamond, you're acquiring a unicorn — the Japanese jet that started an American dynasty.
MITSUBISHI MU-300 DIAMOND OVERVIEW
MITSUBISHI MU-300 DIAMOND ROUTE PERFOMANCE