I remember looking at this kit many years ago in a Philadelphia hobby shop. Frankly, it struck me at the time as one of the silliest ship model kits I'd ever seen. I didn't buy it.
Caveat: that was a long time ago, and my memory these days is notoriously unreliable.
My recollection is that the white metal hull halves were almost devoid of detail. (No attempt to represent the planking, etc. I don't remember about the copper sheathing.) The plastic parts were better, but not up to Imai's usual standards. The spars, as I recall, consisted of tapered wood dowels. And the price was something hideous (I don't remember the exact figure, but I think it was over $100.)
Imai's best sailing ships are indeed among the best ever from any manufacturer. But this time, in my opinion, the company went off on a bizarre tangent. It's perhaps significant that neither Imai nor, to my knowledge, anybody else has ever issued another sailing ship kit like this. I've often wondered if it was, in fact, a factor in the firm's unfortunately early demise.
That said, I feel obliged to repeat what I usually say when people ask my opinions on ship kits. I don't suggest that my opinions are any more than opinions, or that people should refraid from building a particular kit because I don't like it. This kit is one I personally would avoid; I'd recommend either the old Revell kit or the Airfix one in preference. But to each his/her own.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.