PrintingWiggly,
If you then Object>Blend>Expand and Pathfinder>Unite, you will just have the outer shape as one closed path, with a suitable shape for a hangar for a Goodyear blimp or a hut for the Michelin man.
If you work on a copy, you may Object>Path>Offset Path and delete the original if you wish to have the cut at a distance from the original artwork.