Alright - I think there's been a misunderstanding. Those are the struts from the external version. When I create my cockpits, I take the external version and invert the normals of the cockpit area. I then start to build the cockpit mesh inside that flipped-normals cage. The only change I made to this one is the slight rounding of the window edges - this is just to make the mesh more visually interesting. The top strut is not eye-height, it's above the pilot's head. the reticle goes smack in the middle between the top strut and the top of the displays.
Now, here's what I can do - I can slim down the external struts so the internal ones can be thinner too. I won't, however, make the internal mesh any different from the external one. This is cheating, and I just won't do it. Anyhow, I kinda like the idea that each ship has it own visiblity problems. Tarsus being the worst, of course. Anyhow, I'll work more on this when I geet home. The most likely change is sliming down both the external and internal struts. I'm probably not going to move them, though.