Thinking about some aero stuff yesterday My thoughts turned to the use , or not, of engine covers in F1 streamlining.
By engine covers I mean something which at least covers the cam covers on the actual engine if nothing else.
All the 1950's front engine F1 cars had bonnets over the engine and the rear engined F1 Cooper had a full tail cover. That covering up carried on right through the 1.5 litre F1 period 1961 to 1965 , albeit some covers were minimal like the Lotus 33.
In 1966 the H 16 BRM was , I think, the first car with no engine cover ( no room!) and then of course the Cosworth DFV arrived in the Lotus 49 with no bodywork at all beyond the end of the truncated chassis . that became the norm IIRC for all the DFV engined cars until ground effects arrived . The McLaren was an exception
The Lotus 78 had ground effects but naked cam covers but the Lotus 79 had a fully enclosed engine and ,I think from then on all F1 cars had covered engines.
Is that about right ?
ps I know the flat 12 Ferrari is tricky as it had exposed cam covers at sides but the chassis span over the engine was a visual cover!
r
