On-line each player in the same session sees somewhat different picture because of the net lag (which is time, required data to pass from one player to other(s)). All damage and hits are calculated on computer of the player, who fired the projectile. I.e. player A fires a lead shot at player B and, his shells (on his PC) hit the target fine. At the same time player B may see player A firing with not enough lead and all his shot are miss. Next moment Player A's PC calculates damage, inflicted to B and sends it to B. So, what does B sees? A visually missed him, but still he gets destroyed.

Now, same situation, but A makes too much lead. On his PC he misses B, but due to lag B may see A's projectiles passing right through his plane, without hitting it.

Or, there may be a different situation, where both players play with minimal lag, and both see very close picture on their screens. But, for whatever reason, there happens lag fluctuation at the moment, both see hits on B, but the damage was not transferred yet (due to increased lag, or packet loss). So, B, despite getting visually hit, doesn't receive damage immediately. Instead, the damage from, say, 3-4 hits, separated in time, comes to B all at once, destroying him instantly. So, other players see 3 hits, which do not inflict any damage and then single 4th hit, which has effect of 4 simulations hits.

Sometimes, this damage packets may not come at all, so everybody see hits on B, but he isn't hurt, because packets with information about damage, A inflicted on B did not come from A (where lost).

That is why visual representation not always match actual events in the on-line game, or situation in the off-line session.

I flew i bunch of quick missions a couple of days before and managed to break an 109F4 in two with just two-three hits from a La-5. This happened a few times in a row so i made a track to show my squad mates for a laugh.

This is just an edited pic but i have the ntrk for it:

http://i42.tinypic.com/1zgt0t4.jpg

I'm not one to whine, but the La-5 series weapons always seemed somewhat strange.

Yeah, and they give me a feeling that they are made of titanium. 1 MK108 hit is usually not enough to take out their combat ability.

Any cannon armed aircraft can do that to the earlier 109s. Spitfires, Yaks, La... I did it 109 versus 109 to similar effect as well :) Some planes (and models of planes) seem more likely to loose their entire tail. The F6F Hellcat is another...

Yet more evidence of partisan sabotage of mk108 production. Conscripted labor from the work camps can be sooo unreliable sometimes.

The first shell was filled with popcorn :)

A long time ago I saw the specs on the WWII 20mm cannons, the Hispano's that the Spit, Tempy and p-38 etc. used were the most powerful, the Russians were a bit weaker and the german mg151 was third, the mgff fourth.

Somewhere I have a track where I took a long shot at an A-20 of probably almost a kilometer with a Bf109f4 on Spits vs. 109s and I blew the tail right off of it. Could not have hit it with any more than a round or two.

I have also blown La-5s in half or simply turned them into fireballs by hitting them apparently in the fuel tank with one quick burst from a 109, so I don't think there is anything funny going on except for the online packet loss etc. and other gremlins that I have no problem living with, it is simply interesting to learn about what causes them, thank-you.....

This is a long known "problem".
And it is a FC99 says a multifactorial "problem".
It´s depending on whether you are online/offline, on the damage model the weapons characteristics, selective memories.

I the described situation -LaFN vs 109- it´s all of them.

In the addressed problem of the gunpower or effectiveness, historically a Mk108 should need 1,046 hits on a average fighter to down it.
Down it means the plane is so badly damaged that either the pilots ditches/crashes, bails or is killed.

The historical average MG151/20mm hits necessary to down a fighter are 4, stated by the Luftwaffe.

I flew the Spit against the same 109F4 a lot more then Lavochkin and never noticed this effect (remember, i'm talking 2-3 hits only). I'll try cannons only with Spit / P-400 to see if the Hispano does it as well.

If you're going for the effect with the Spitfire... try and go for the "perfect" convergence hit on the tail section. I see it less with the Spitfire as I'm usually inside my convergence distance quickly and I end up shooting the wingroots. But... perfect convergence on the tail and off it will come. It's just easier because the La-5 has two 20mm cannons mounted very close to each other.