A Use for Simple 3D

Now you 3D guys are going to laugh at these simple models. I mostly do aviation illustrations and one of the most difficult things to do is to work out the perspective of the drawing. If it's an uncommon aircraft there may be few or no photos available. I've found the easiest way is to create a simple 3D model to look at perspectives and composition. The model takes only 3 to 4 hours to make and gives me the required shapes to use for the vector shapes. Just one way to use simple 3D models for 2D illustrations. A couple of examples below were made for future work showing the French Vautour from the 50's and the British Gloster Whittle from the 40's.

What software are you modeling with?

I use a program called RCCad. It has a lot of pre set parameters which makes it quick but limits what you can do with it. I've used Blender for one which is a good program for free but requires a lot more time. I really need to keep the model part down to 3 or 4 hours for the 2D work. It would be different if I was looking for a detailed 3D model.