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The Real-Life MicroHenrys

joseph.tropea@asml.com Photos by Joe Tropea; joseph.tropea@asml.com

Tom Scott (Cincinnati, Ohio; email: askus@scottmodels.com) provided a story by Joe Tropea (Norwalk, Connecticut) about the impact a certain RC comic made on Joe’s love of the hobby. Joe wrote:

A microhenry is a unit of electrical inductance, specifically one-millionth of a henry. A henry is the standard unit of inductance in the International System of … wait! This is supposed to be about model airplanes!

I remember the day that the mail delivered my first AMA card, along with my first copy of Model Aviation. I poured over those pages, noting every detail. There was no internet at the time—all we had were magazines and stories from the local field(s). I immersed myself in RC airplanes from day one with a Sig Kadet LT-40 kit that I built myself and made to look just like what was on the box.

A few years prior to my involvement in RC, Ed Henry began to publish a comic strip titled “The MicroHenrys” in each edition of Model Aviation. These comic gems were something I used to look forward to and often cut out to hang in my workshop. Little did I know, these were foreshadowing what was to come because they generally dealt with model airplane crashes.

Ed contributed his comic strips from 1988 to 1998 and received recognition as a comic strip artist from the likes of Charles Schulz (Peanuts) and Jim Davis (Garfield), to name a few. He was not just a comic strip artist, however; he was also a lover of RC and an innovator. It can be easily argued that he invented the first RC simulator, the Fly Seat, which currently resides in the AMA National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. His other great inventions include the Add-A-Trickle charger and the first-ever RC Dogfight (now called RC Combat). Additionally, he authored the original AMA Safety Code. Ed passed away on July 3, 2011, at the age of 92, in his hometown of Murphysboro, Illinois.

As a lover of all things RC for more than 30 years, my tenure pales in comparison to that of my peers who have been involved for upward of 60 or maybe 70 years. I have participated in almost every facet of this amazing hobby, but for me, it’s Pylon Racing. While I struggle to be competitive, have never set any speed records, and have never won a big race, I still participate with the same fierce passion as when I first started. I can’t explain it. I tried to walk away, but it is engrained in my DNA. You’d have to be a racer to understand. Every so often, I will hit a personal best time or win a heat, beating some notable competitors. Perhaps these small bits of glory are what keep me in.

“Even a garbage can gets steak once in a while,” one of my dear friends said. I lean toward thinking that statements such as this are what keep me involved. I have collected thousands of hilarious comments such as this one throughout the years … memories.

In the spirit of memories, I am always up for creating new ones, so when Tom asked me to dress up as one of the MicroHenrys, I simply couldn’t resist—my stature makes me a perfect candidate.

At the 2025 AMA RC Pylon Racing Nats, I, along with several others, was asked to dress up as a MicroHenry and parade around our Pylon Racing banquet. For those who remembered the MicroHenrys, I’m sure the gesture was appreciated. For those who might not know who they were, I’m hoping this article clears that up.

Thanks to Tom and all who joined in for creating yet another memorable moment.

(Editor’s note: Visit modelaviation.com/microhenryten for a compilation of the Model Aviation staff’s 10 favorite MicroHenrys comics, and modelaircraft.org/sites/default/files/files/HenryEdwardEdLamonte.pdf to read Ed’s AMA History Project biography.)