I have only the S1 "Golden Dragons" F-18 to draw from for comparisons.The plane comes disassembled and well-packaged in its box, as has been the case with recent BBI releases. I have come to really like this setup as it seems to protect the model very well for shipping, especially when compared to the old window boxes. The parts for the F-18 were all stored in various boxes that doubled as packing support and were wrapped in a soft foam "cloth" as opposed to being in bags as on the other new BBI releases.
Really, in terms of functions and features, this F-18 repaint is no different than any of the others and is essentially the same tooling BBI released back in 2004. The model is very durable, sacraficing working features for something that won't fall apart. (Recall how JSI did not do that with their F-14). Cockpit is detailed, but the details are mostly decals, as on all other BBI F-18s. Features include removable ordinance, retractable gears, rolling wheels, opening canopy, though the tail hook on my "Sidewinders" F-18 works much better than on my S1 "Golden Dragons" model. You have to assemble more parts than earlier F-18s, including the tails.
Where the model differs from earlier versions is in the quality of the plastics and paints.
The plastic has a hard, sturdy feel to it throughout the model. For example, the horizontal stabilizers are not so rubbery and the landing gear appear to use a better plastic. I don't think this plane will have the gear-sagging issues the earlier models had. Another very nice tooling difference is that BBI seems to have better-covered or eliminated the screw plugs. On my S1 F-18, while the screws are covered, the plugs do not fit flush with the fuselage and are not matched to the base paint coat, leaving partial holes that are quite visible when viewed from beneath. This is NOT the case with the "Sidewinders" F-18 and the properly-covered screws really improves the look of the model.
Engines are still the same with that shallow exhaust pipe. This is as toyish as its always been, but BBI did paint the afterburner area black. This helps hide the inaccuracies and gives the engine more "depth". The engines also have a more realistic color and weathering effect than earlier models.
On the rest of the plane, it seems BBI likely used a basecoat for painting and then added flat paints over it. The plastic does not have that "shine" to it that the S1 version has. The plane is reasonably weathered, though the weathering is not as heavy as on the S1 aircraft.
You can find some really great photos of this aircraft on some small retailer websites like Badcat, FlyingMule, AG's store and others so I've foregone the detail shots. What I thought would be helpful are a couple comparison or "legacy" shots between the S1 "Golden Dragons" and the S8 "Sidewinders"
For me, the BBI F-18 has always stood as the original "Big Ticket" item going back to when it was first released 8 years ago and was twice the size of anything offered by any other company at the time. It has thus always carried a certain "wow" factor with it. While the price nearly doubled, I felt it was time to expand the F-18 fleet and am glad to get an aircraft with a unique, but accurate, paint scheme and one that served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The F-18 is a good compliment to anyone's moden aircraft collection.
I must say its worth seeing in person. The photos like with everything else just aren't enough to really capture the true essence of this incredible fighter jet. The camouflage seen throughout the paint scheme alone really sets it apart from anything else I've collected over the years aircraft wise. I'm very glad I pulled the trigger on this item last week. Look forward to hanging it with the others tonight. 
