Currently, I'm testing a bit on how many Bullets the average Bird soaks up before going down.
Setting of "Player Guns only" for this test is strongest.
Test Objects: Both Spads, Niewport 23 /24, SE 5s, 40 Planes in Total
Firing Plane: Alb D5a
Hit Positions: Randomly scattered all over the Targets
Max Range: 300 meters (Gun Accuracy setting "normal")
Result: 22 Hits are needed to force a Landing, 27 to provoke a fatal Outcome.

The Contrary is a bit more complicated to measure, since you can only count the acoustic Signals of Hits. I don't know if I'm counting right, but on the average a player-flewn Alb D5a seems to need 4 Hits until it is damaged in a way, that it isn't really "fit for Combat" any more. 6 Hits seem enough to result in a fatal Outcome.
This may probably be, because the average AI does not scatter very much and keeps Fire concentrated at the center of the Target.
Has someone already done a "close-quarter-only test"?

You can spend a lot of time making tests, but I have already on two occasions sent a plane down with one hit and I play on Low Accuracy. So I would think a lot is random depending where you hit...
On the other hand I have been pouring lead in some planes and they wouldn't go down !

I prefer using my precious time flying missions...

Sure, you've got Extremes, but the Majority of Planes pretty much behave all alike.
Speaking of time:
You don't have to spend hours for that - simply create Quick Scenario, and you're ready for some thilling action in an instant :-)

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To each their own and more power to you Nietzsche for wanting to take on such testing. Not sure I see the point of it myself as there are so many variables to the 'equation' you appear to be trying to sorting out, and even if you do sort it out I'm not sure what the information will serve. I know from a good many years flying and fighting in OFF, and now WOFF, that you can attack the same type of kite in the same fashion repeatedly and seldom get the same results in terms of how many hits it took to down the target.

But as I said, more power to you Sir.

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I shot down an Albatros DII with one hit

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Yuppers, pop a cap in the pilot's melon and the plane has no brain, AI or otherwise. Boom boom, out go the lights!

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Nietzche: Pilot skill is also a huge factor. When I first started playing I was often frustrated because I couldn't down a plane after 30 or 40 shots. Now if I had to guess my average is 10 - sometimes I get lucky, sometimes it takes a little longer.

I've hammered away at planes until I was sure there was more lead than wood in their planes and other times a single round seems to take out the pilot.

My only wish is that there would be fewer total structural wing failures where all four wings just blow completely off the plane. I believe Pol said they were happy with the DM as is though, so I expect that to remain the case. I was hoping HPW would come back on the scene with his very well done Damage Models, but I haven't seen him. I think perhaps his rig can't run WOFF? A shame. He did some wonderful work for OFF.

@CatKnight: Did you mean 30-40 Shots or 30-40 Hits?
@RAF-Louvert: I think this info could be quite useful for considering wether to attack someone in a certain situation or not...

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Not to sound obtuse Nietzsche, but could you give a situation in which one would or wouldn't initiate an attack based on the possibility that a certain number of hits on a potential target may or may not disable said target. I would still be considering factors such as altitude, number of enemy planes, avenue of attack and escape, etc, long before I would calculate in the rather ethereal figures you are proposing. Just my opinion of course, and we all know what opinions can be worth.

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HITS.

Nietzche, I'm not even convinced these planes HAVE hit points. I could be mistaken, but I think it's solely based on where your shot lands. It works the other way around as well: I've had enemy pilots hammer me with little effect, and I've had my engine catch on fire on their first or second burst.

Nietzsche, one close burst into engine or tank would finish a plane off.
One single bullet into the pilots head does the job even more effectively.
The trick is: get close, and then some more - and only then you fire.

But I never follow that advice, when it goes against Bristol Fighters.
For those I use a careful long distance deflection shooting.
Cause it's better when I must fly home with empty belts and no success,
than to fall.

Reminds me of a line by Clint Eastwood in one of the Inspector Harry series :

"Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one !"

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"But I never follow that advice, when it goes against Bristol Fighters.
For those I use a careful long distance deflection shooting.
Cause it's better when I must fly home with empty belts and no success,
than to fall."

Agreed Olham, those Brisfits are every bit as deadly to go up against as the Walfisch.

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Okay, to make things clear:
I did this test mainly, because I'm figuring out Ways to get behind the Principles of how the Game Engine works (I am no coder, so I can't simply open the Engine & have a look). I am sure, that one can exploit that Knowledge somehow.
As by now, it seems that the Plane is divided into different Hitzones with distinctive Amounts of Hitpoints. Lets just say, the "Engine-Zone" has got 2 Points while the "Left-Upper-Wing-Zone" has got 10.
Many of the Players here are talking about Headshots - so this counts for the Pilot, also (Perhaps "Head-Zone" 1 Point, "Rest-of-the-Body-Zone" 4)
I have the Feeling that the Hit (-point) is multiplied by a Speed-Difference-Factor, meaning: The faster you run into your Target while shooting, the more Damage you apply (this would be like +0 Km/h equals Factor 1, +100 Km/h equals Factor 1.5 or so)
Shooting Distance also seems to be taken into the Equasion, somehow. Probably by a Divider.
...and besides, I'm having a ball (not the Ace LOL) testing that

The OTHER Walfisches are DEADLY?!?!?
Then I will march straight into my CO's office and ask him, why I must fly with a SHORT-SIGHTED gunner!!!

Nietzsche, take care, that the thinking about the logical build-up of the sim
won't kill the immersion factor for you.
There are no tricks to be learnt. You must only do the right things - and when you cannot do anything
better than to run away - then exactly THAT IS the right thing.

Nietsche : "...and besides, I'm having a ball (not the Ace LOL) testing that ! "

To each his own, I'm having a ball flying it !