How to Build a Nose Cone

Punch the nose cone frame out of Styrofoam with a metal pipe. This should be done on a hard work surface, because the metal pipe should be sharp.

Remove the Styrofoam shape from inside the metal pipe, because it will usually get stuck there after being punched out. To remove the Styrofoam, use your thumb to slowly push the Styrofoam out one side, being careful not to slice your thumb on the edge of the metal pipe.

Decide on a shape for the nose cone. Depending on the plane or rocket you're creating, you can make a conical nose cone for speed, a parabolic cone for stability, or a rounded-edge cone, which is one of the most popular.

Begin sanding the nose cone into the desired shape using sandpaper. Sand off small sections over a trash can. For a conical shape, sand one end of the nose cone to a spherical point. For a parabolic shape, begin tapering one-third away from the end into a cone smaller in diameter than the other end of the Styrofoam. For a rounded cone, round off the edge of one end until it looks like a half-ball.

Sweep all Styrofoam shavings into the trash before affixing the nose cone to the rocket or paper airplane, because the shavings tend to scatter and stick to the glue and masking tape on the rocket.