I have wondered exactly what was behind the headrest of the AD Skyraider canopy. It looked like a tan canvas-like cover that angled down from the top of the headrest to the top of the fuselage just before the aft end of the canopy. And that's just what it appears to be.
The deck behind the headrest is actually the top of the fuselage. The canopy slides on three rails, one on each side of the cockpit and one on the top of the fuselage.
The sliding canopy was powered.
That mechanism appears to be the only hardware under the sliding canopy. Note the "boot" that enclosed the mechanism. It appears to have a closure at the top over the air-to-oil transfer cylinder.
Early Skyraiders did not have the boot.
It appears that it was added to ensure that a leak from the mechanism would not be sprayed into the cockpit enclosure. The boot was not always in place.
The armor plate and seat arrangement (note that the canopy actuation mechanism is not shown).
The headrest that was attached to the armor plate could be tilted forward. Some other pictures;
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