r/WarplanePorn Apr 24 '25

We need to talk about low-quality photos and videos

216 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 9h ago

USAF F-15 running the Mach Loop with Epic Fury nose art [Album]. (OC)

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393 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 9h ago

USAF B-1 taking off from RAF Fairford at golden hour[Album]. (OC)

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129 Upvotes

Special tail commemorating the DooLittle Raiders.

This was a routine training mission, not a live mission.


r/WarplanePorn 7h ago

Indian Air Force IAF Mirage 2000 captured head-on during an aerial shoot, carrying MICA EMs, an AN/ASW-55 data-link pod and a Crystal Maze on the centreline [1080x1080]

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88 Upvotes

PC: Indranil Nandi


r/WarplanePorn 9h ago

USAF USAF B‑52H pre‑flight inspection on a fog‑covered ramp, March 2026.[5578×3718]

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109 Upvotes

Image courtesy of DVIDS


r/WarplanePorn 1h ago

VVS MiG-25PU Foxbat trainer deploys it's drag chute while landing at Voronezh Malshevo Air Base in 2012, all recon and trainer variants will be retired a year later with some being placed in storage [3000x1989]

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• Upvotes

originally they were intended to be modernized and kept in service until 2020 but the immense cost together with aging infrastructure, fatigued airframes and both the Tumansky R-15 engines and parts being out of production halted the plans.

while the MiG-25 production line ceased in 1984, both the parts and engines were still being produced until 1989.

if the modernization went ahead they would have received a new navigation suite based on Glonass receivers and laser gyroscopes, the recon variants would have gotten digital photo and video cameras, communication systems and new reconnaissance systems which included a new side-looking radar and electronic intelligence-gathering.


r/WarplanePorn 7h ago

Luftwaffe Destroyed German Junkers Ju 88 in a hangar at Villacoublay airfield, France, 1 September 1944 [3764 × 2831]

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48 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1h ago

NATO Polish Air Force MiG-29s from 22 Tactical Air Base [2048x1536]

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• Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 6h ago

Album BIAS 2026 [Album]

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10 Upvotes

camera setup : R50 + RF 75-300


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut "Golden Eagle" with weapons bay open at Zhukovsky Airfield in 2008, it was used as a test bed for the Su-57's weapons bay [2800x1781]

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312 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

OC PBY-5A Catalina at Oshkosh [Album]

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321 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

OC Mcdonnel Douglas F4E Phantom II [Album]

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94 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

EAF Egyptian Air Force Rafale fighter receive aerial refueling from Chinese YY-20 tankers during the "Eagle of Civilization 2026" joint exercise. [1920x1080]

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266 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Album Royal Malaysian Air Force RMAF/TUDM assets performing during Malaysia's 69th National Day parade [ALBUM]

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252 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

RNZAF RNZAF NH-90 over the Southern Alps, New Zealand.[album]

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69 Upvotes

Photo credit RNZAF


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

NATO Five Polish F-35s on delivery flight [1383 x 1844]

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198 Upvotes

8 delivered to date.


r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

USAAF Ground personnel prepare to load bombs into a B-26 Marauder of the 584th Bomb Squadron, 394th Bomb Group at RAF Holmsley. 31 August 1944 [5236 × 3588]

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27 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt 'Hairless Joe' of the 56th Fighter Group at RAF Bottisham. 31 August 1944 [3015 × 2045]

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28 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

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

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1.6k Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Multinational VMF MiG-29KUB refuels an IAF MiG-29UPG [1436x725]

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119 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

Uzbek Air Force J-10CE [1917×711]

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358 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

RCAF Do we still needs guns on planes or not anymore? [1920x1080]

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109 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 1d ago

Album PAF Mirage III/V[Album]

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16 Upvotes

r/WarplanePorn 2d ago

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

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429 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)