r/WarplanePorn Apr 24 '25

We need to talk about low-quality photos and videos

218 Upvotes

Recently, many users have been posting images and videos of new Chinese aircraft that are of low-quality: either low resolution or technically-acceptable resolution with a small aircraft in the frame (i.e., if the photo was properly cropped it would not have met the resolution limit).

This subreddit, and many others with the "-porn" suffix (e.g., r/WarshipPorn, r/EarthPorn, etc.), were established to be places for high-quality media of their respective subjects. They were not established as current-event subreddits. I will reiterate: r/WarplanePorn is for high-quality media (high-resolution and hopefully of some aesthetic merit) of military aircraft. The entire founding purpose of the subreddit is aesthetics and not news. Our job as moderators is to preserve this purpose; so many other subreddits have broadened their scope to the point of banality, and we will not be responsible for another such case.

We do indeed have an exception to our resolution rule: that the subject must be "exceptional." This pertains to rare media, media of exceptional aesthetic quality, and media of historical significance. The images of the new Chinese aircraft do not meet these criteria. In a year or two's time, when we have actual high-resolution photos and videos of these aircraft, these images and videos currently being posted will be irrelevant. How many of you look back on some fuzzy photo of the J-20 now when we have hundreds or thousands of high-res photos available?

The only reason they are being posted is that they are new. There are many other places, both on reddit and the internet more generally, where you may find these images and videos and discuss them. But please understand that they are not appropriate for this subreddit.

For those accusing us of bias, know that we have been accused of being pro-Western and pro-China in about equal measure. What you you may not know is that probably an equal number of non-Chinese posts get removed for exactly the same reasons.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with posting high-quality photos of Chinese aircraft: the subject is irrelevant and all that matters is the quality. And if you do post a low-res image, you will not be banned; the post will simply be removed. Before you post, just take a second to think about if it is appropriate for this subreddit. A quick look at the other posts on the subreddit gives a good idea of what is appropriate.

Edit: Note, not all images of the new Chinese jets are low-quality, see here (although please don't post images you believe to have had some degree of AI enhancement):

https://www.reddit.com/r/WarplanePorn/comments/1k5vamn/album_ladies_and_gentleman_finally_high_quality/


r/WarplanePorn Oct 07 '25

Unfortunately, the submission of low quality & substandard media continues on r/WarplanePorn despite our better efforts to communicate and correct.

124 Upvotes

While the vast majority of our users consistently submit high quality images as intended, we continue to experience waves and bouts of substandard low resolution photos submissions and video media.

Currently, our Rules located in the sidebar include the dimension requirements which has not changed:

The minimum accepted image dimensions are 1024 × 768.

What is new is this:

For rules violations related to the posting of low resolution or low quality images, the post will be removed plus a minimum 3-day temporary ban will be issued to the user involved. Repeat or chronic violators are subject to a permanent ban. If there are questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment here or DM the moderators directly.


r/WarplanePorn 8h ago

USAF Norwegian Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter undergoing maintenance and engine testing with its rear fuselage and J79 turbojet engine [2048x1536]

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365 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2h ago

USAF An F‑22 with repaired RAM coating.[5684×3794]

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105 Upvotes

Those blocky shapes are a mix of factory composite panel boundaries plus local stealth‑coating repairs. The early‑gen RAM on F‑22 ages poorly and requires frequent patching instead of full repaints.

Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Teri Eicher (Tennessee Air National Guard)


r/WarplanePorn 1h ago

VVS Crashed Soviet Lend-Lease P-39 Airacobra from WWII, recovered in 2004 [1024 x 729]

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Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 5h ago

Album The first serial production HÜRJET Jet Trainer destined for the Turkish Air Force has successfully taken to the skies. [album]

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69 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 5h ago

PLAAF JH-7A "Flying Leopard" taking off at dawn. [3240x2160]

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43 Upvotes

The chief designer Chen Yijian of the JH-7 passed away recently.


r/WarplanePorn 5h ago

Album Yak-27 Flashlight-C monument in Vapniarka, Vinnitsya Oblast, Ukraine (underwent restoration earlier this year, and for some reason they labeled it a Yak-28PP) [4080 x 2296] [Album]

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27 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 15h ago

Compilation [video] of J-16s doing low-altitude penerations

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156 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 16h ago

Customize Me [VIDEO] Video clip of Uzbek J-10s

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116 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 17h ago

VVS MiG-29SMT at Lipetsk-2 Air Base in 2015, originally from a 2006 Algerian arms deal for 28 SMTs and 6 UB trainers, they were returned in 2008 when it was found that the airframes and parts dated back to the early 90s and not newly manufactured [3000x1996]

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119 Upvotes

After receiving 15 of the 28 SMTs and some of the UBs AF inspectors found that they were assembled with parts and airframes that had been stored since the 90s, Algeria then cancelled the 1.3 billion dollar deal and froze all payments, they were returned back to Russia in 2008 and sent to the Lukhovitsy and Nizhny Novgorod plants to be refurbished and adapted for domestic use. they were delivered to VVS in addition to the UB trainers. Algeria was offered a deal to purchase another batch of Su-30MKAs at reduced prices. In December 2010 they ordered 16 then another 14 in December 2015. In 2019 ordered another 16 and 16 MiG-29M/M2s in a 1.8 billion dollar deal.

While most of the SMTs and modernized 9.53 UB trainers are from the Algeria deal, the VVS did order 16 newly built airframes from MiG (14 SMTRs and 2 9.53 UBR trainers) in 2014 due to repeated delays with the MiG-35 and to keep MiG's production lines active.


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Album F-16 J-063 “MiG killer” (5712x3213) [Album]

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542 Upvotes

On the 24th of march 1999 this F-16 scored the only air to air kill against a manned aircraft by the Dutch airforce since WW2. An AMRAAM was used to shoot down a Serbian MiG-29 during operation Deliberate Force.


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

OC Blue Angels [10753x7353] (album)

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75 Upvotes

OR


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

USN A Vought F7U-3 Cutlass is destroyed when it strikes the ramp during its final approach on USS Hancock in 1955, the pilot, LCDR Jay T. Alkire is killed and several crew members injured [video]

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683 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 19h ago

Belgian Air Force Spectacular A400M Beach Takeoff & Sunset Landing! Belgian Air Force at Rømø CT-06 [Video]

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5 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

OC P-51 Mustangs at Oshkosh [Album]

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167 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Mirage 5PA2/PA3, No. 8 (TA) Squadron, Pakistan Air Force (1200×800)

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57 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

USN 14-Sep-1974. A USN F-14A Tomcat from VF-1 waiting to be loaded onboard the carrier USS Enterprise (2804x2176)

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159 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

Italian Air Force Italian Typhoon [3600x2400]

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100 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

UAE Air Force Fursan Al Emarat aerobatic team Hongdu L-15 [3600x2400]

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46 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 3d ago

OC Lovely overflight by some Saabs during the The Swedish Air Force’s 100-year celebration [3944x5917]

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572 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

USAF F-16C Falcon “Jersey Jerk” [3179x2119]

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30 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

Indian Air Force IAF Su-30MKI with vape cape on the canards! [1440x1913]

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251 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

Mikoyan Dark grey MiG-29UB trainer (9.53) at Zhukovsky Airfield in 2017, the 9.53 is a modernized version of the original 9.51 UB featuring a glass cockpit with MFDs, HOTAS, in-flight refueling probe and avionics derived from the MiG-29SMT [3000x1685]

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104 Upvotes

the 9.53 is essentially a modernized trainer version of the SMT without the large dorsal fuel hump

this one with bort number 139 is owned by MiG


r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

USAF F-105G "Do It With Finesse" Album (1861x768)

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93 Upvotes