First time plane builder, a question (or two...)

CarnivourousDonut

sort of like the C-130, festoons with guns coming out the windows)

You mean like the AC-119?  Italeri already make a kit of this.

Just my 2 cents.  In 1/72, you could make a lot of guns from different size brass tubes and some scrap plastic.  If you just had the barrels poking out, you would not have to add a lot of detail to the breech.  Take a look at the B-25G or H with the 75mm cannon mounted and see how little actually protruded from the aircraft.  A piece of tubing would be sufficient for the large callibe gun mounted firing forward.  In addition, if you could find one of Hasagawa's weapons kits, you might be able to get a 1/72 scale 20mm gun pod to hang on the plane as well.  Some tubes could make a rocket launcher, similar to the one used on the P-47 during WWII.  This sounds like a great project and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Good luck.

John 

Sacrilege!  Nothing is more Mad Max than the AC-119!

You don't have to stray too far off the page with this aircraft. The CIA operated them into Dien Bien Phu in 1954 in support of the French. The Italeri kit has really nice decals of the USAF as painted over in the red/ silver scheme, with phony French insignia.

There was a real character named James McGovern Jr., aka "Earthquake McGoon", who flew in a Luau shirt, cigar and leather flying helmet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_B._McGovern,_Jr.

SOP for this operation was to take off the rear clam shell doors. His Boxcar was the hot one, with the R 4360 engine.