Designed as a light twin turboprop transport suitable for a variety of civil and military roles, the MU-2 first flew on 14 September 1963.

Major components were shipped from Japan, and the San Angelo factory installed engines, avionics, and interiors, then painted, flight tested, and delivered the completed aircraft to customers.

[citation needed] The subsequent production aircraft, designated MU-2B, were delivered with the Garrett TPE331 engines that remained standard on all later models.

It had a short fuselage and the same engines as the MU-2K and stretched MU-2J, and had an increase in cabin pressurization to 6.0 psi; it was followed by the MU-2P, which had newer, four-blade propellers.

[2] The first significant change to the airframe came with the stretched MU-2G, first flying 10 January 1969, which featured a 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) longer fuselage than earlier models; 46 were built before being succeeded by the more powerful MU-2J (108 constructed).

Additional equipment consisted of a "thimble" nose radome, increased fuel capacity, bulged observation windows, and a sliding door for dropping rafts.

[8] Four civilian MU-2 (LV-MCV, LV-MOP, LV-OAN and LV-ODZ) were acquired[clarification needed] by the Argentine Air Force during the Falkland War.

Among their missions were flying as guiding planes to the IA-58 Pucará replacements required after losses on the raid on Pebble Island.

[13] On 25 August 2013, Mike Laver, owner and pilot of N50ET (a −10 engine converted 1974 K-model equipped with 5-blade MT-composite propellers, which had just received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) under Air 1st of Aiken, South Carolina), along with AOPA Pilot technical editor Mike Collins, embarked on an around-the-world journey in the MU-2B-25.

[15][16][17] In the United States, the MU-2 had a spotty safety record during its early decades, as its high performance coupled with a relatively low purchase price appealed to amateur pilots who did not appreciate how demanding it is to fly compared to slower piston engined aircraft.

[4] The absence of adverse yaw eliminates the need to use rudder for coordinated flight, but proper and prompt use of rudder is vital to counter the aircraft's tendency to roll in reaction to engine torque; at low airspeed, the aircraft will rapidly roll and enter an accelerated stall if the pilot applies full power without adequate preparation, and safe recovery from this condition is very difficult at low altitude.

[19] Most crashes early in the type's service life were attributable to pilot error; however, in 1981, four uncontrolled descents from altitude prompted the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to initiate separate investigations into the cabin pressurization system and autopilot, but the outcome was inconclusive.

In 2005, the FAA undertook another safety evaluation of the MU-2 and concluded that a properly maintained MU-2 was safe when operated by well-trained pilot; however, the study also found that training standards were inconsistent, and sometimes recommended unusual or unauthorized procedures.

In 2006, the FAA issued a Special Federal Air Regulation (SFAR) directed at MU-2 operations, with standards exceeding a type rating in some aspects.

[21][22] Despite these early problems, aviation experts have characterized the MU-2 as being robustly designed and constructed, and relatively few MU-2 crashes have been directly attributed to mechanical or structural failures.