ATM Air or Cement

["Jim and Sue Sapp" <jsstars@worldnet.att.net>]

Hi Folks,
     I have a couple of ~70mm diameter air-spaced achromats with slightly
defective coatings on the inner surfaces. I am confident that the coating
defects have no detectable detrimental effects on image quality, but I am
considering cementing the elements together for an enhancement to their
mechanical ruggedness for increasing their chances of survival in a rough
duty application. Would forgoing the air-spacing and cementing the elements
together be optically beneficial, or would I lose something here?

- Jim