Yeah, blame Yamato for not making the nosecone shrinkable. Here we go again, blaming toys for not conforming to anime magic proportions. Check yer copies of Memory Perfect, boys and girls. The original '82 line art for the VF-1 battroid has an impossibly small nosecone, thus allowing the GBP-1 to fit. Now, Yamato could have made a stubby nose, a'la the Taka, but then we'd have 1001 topics about "Yamato hates me becasue they gave the 1/48 a stubby nose."
Edit: Dammit, Batou. You're too fast for me, and clearly you read my mind and stole my post.