Some A5Ms were modified into two-seat aircraft for pilot training. A closed cockpit was also tried, but pilots disliked its restriction of their view and preferred the open arrangement. Visibility mattered greatly in visual air combat, leaving cockpit enclosure with compromises before later canopy designs.
Notable Point · 58:45-59:13
A5M pilots resist the closed cockpit's restricted view
Trainer conversions and a rejected closed cockpit show how pilot instruction and visibility shaped A5M variants.