In Japan virtually all planes (kanna) are wood, usually Japanese white oak or
red oak.  Both are different than the oaks in the US, closer to an evergreen
pine.  SG .64-.68
Anyway, shooting planes are fairly common, about the same construction of
standard smoothing planes (hira-ganna).
A standard plane is about 270-290 mm long, with a 70mm blade, 38 degree bedding
angle, bevel 25 degrees, inserted bevel down.
The two major differences for a naga-dai (long body) kanna is the length, around
390-410mm, and the blade is offset about 10mm to the side.  This allows the
plane to set on a rabbet in your shooting board, and the blade won't chew it up,
being a little higher.  It also allows the user to plane that face square to the
bottom, as over time (a long time) the side, rubbing as the bottom surface, can
wear a little.
The only other difference (I can think of this early in the day) between the
standard smoother and the long body is how the sole is fettled.  In a smoother
the sole makes contact right in front of the blade, and at the leading end,
nothing in between, and nothing after the blade.  The nagadai kanna is more
often than not set with the contact points at each end, and again just in front
of the blade, so 3 points vs 2.
Japanese planes (and saws) cut on the pull stroke.  It is not a "power through
the cut" like in the west, because the worker is often just seated on a cushion.
Japanese planes can take verrrry thin shavings, typically in the 15-20 micron
range, and in competition as low as .003mm.  This means each stroke is easier,
removing very little material.  You don't need a lot of mass when the blade is
sharp.
Similarly Japanese saws, cutting on the pull, where the blade is always in
tension, the kerf can be as little as .2mm.  Again, because you aren't chiseling
out a lot of wood with each stroke, there is very little resistance.  And they
cut fast, with almost no downforce.
Japanese saws are slowly gaining acceptance in the west, particularly the new
disposable blade variety, with impulse hardened teeth
Kanna take effort to set up, not awful, but takes getting used to.  And the
blades, while having a very hard cutting edge (RC60-65), have been designed for
easy sharpening, with most of the blade made of soft iron.  It actually takes
less time to sharpen a J blade than any Stanley, because the water stones have
fresh grit all the time, and only the thin layer of hard metal provides any
resistance.
If you get a chance to try a Japanese plane do it!  It is so much easier than
pushing a 605 that I've virtually switched over to kanna exclusively.
Cheers