How to Create a Conical Nose Cone

Place the Styrofoam cube on a hard work surface and punch a cylindrical shape out of it with the metal pipe. Punch the pipe into the top of the Styrofoam and spin it back and forth direction if you cannot manage to punch it through all the way.

Remove the Styrofoam cut-out from the metal tube by placing your thumb at one end and pushing the foam out the other. Be cautious of the sharp edge on the metal pipe, as this can cut your hand.

Determine the shape the nose cone should be based on how you'd like your finished product to fly. If you want a plane that flies quickly and are willing to sacrifice a little stability, create a completely conical nose with a sharp point on the end. If you'd like a plane or rocket with stability in addition to fair speed, create a parabolic nose cone. For a classic look, make a rounded tip on the conical nose cone.

Sand off small portions of the tip of the nose cone at a time to create the desired shape using the sandpaper. For a sharp conical shape, sand down enough foam to create a sharp point like a sugar cone. For a parabolic cone, taper the ends of the nose down to a small rounded tip that will look much like a bullet. For a rounded tip, sand off one flat edge of the nose to create a sphere-shaped tip. Your nose cone is now complete.

Scrape or brush all Styrofoam shavings into the trash can before moving onto building the rest of the rocket, as these pieces can fly everywhere and are difficult to pick out of glue or tape.