Rocket and missile launches have seemed like an interesting and challenging thing to animate. I have done several rocket tests. Right now I am working on a surface to air missile animation.

Test 1:
I did this one a long time ago, using a very simple model and smoke effects. Some people think the camera movement is excessive. It is.

Test 2:
Later, I built a 3D model of a Soviet Tsyklon 3 launch vehicle. I wanted to make a launch animation. I also made a launch facility. Most of the work was in the modeling and texturing, so the particles don't look that great.

Test 3:
In this test, I wanted to put more effort in the volumetrics. It was basically to see if I could animate a S/A missle firing. I am still working on thins one, but you can see a test render I made. The missile model is still temporary, I will replace it with a model of a Chaparral antiaircraft missile, and maybe even have it chase a jet fighter.