The Boulin Strobomeca C-1 Stroboscopic Indicator
by Tom Fey
Published 17 June 2015

My interest in WWII target drone engines has morphed into an interest in the drones themselves and the technology of those times. Occasionally I’ll unearth, or a fellow collector will share with me, a manual for Radioplane Aerial Gunnery Targets. I received a copy of Technical Manual 20-300, dated 12 June 1944 "Use of Radio Controlled Airplane Targets" the other day, and inside it describes the use of a Boulin C-1 “Strobomeca” stroboscopic tachometer to verify the RPM of the target engine before launch by catapult.

Technical Manual 20-30 page 41 Excerpt

I had never heard of such a device, but searching the Internet, I found trade advertisements from the 1940s as well as one listed for sale on eBay. The “cool factor” was large and the price quite right, so I bought it.

Strobomeca from TM 20-300	Strobomeca Ad, Radio News, June 1943	Strobomeca Box