"To start with, I am a big fan of full sized (i.e. multi-pilot) lego aircraft. They are just more realistic. While this set is fairly diravitve of 7738 (an all time favorite of mine), the helicopter is an improvement because it has a brick built tail and floor, sliding side doors, a rear ramp, and a better hoist mechanism. It's a nice build with a few simple, yet satisfying SNOT techniques. A great set for those who want to move on to something a little more challenging than your basic build but it is still appropriate for the age range.
The minor improvements that could be made on the helicopter are a better landing gear and a mechanism to keep the side doors from falling open.