Is there an advantage to using surfaces (ie. lower file size or quicker feature building) over solids for very large models / assemblies? I'm modeling a good year blimp [192 feet long, 55 feet in diameter, and 59.5 feet high] x 5!

In the past I've ran into problems when needing to rapid prototype the model, ie. thicken surfaces didn't work for me, so I had to end up remaking the part in solid anyway...

Thanks for your help!