What you have to consider is that the N struts may not be long enough after you do that. Then you have to contend with compensating for that as opposed to a minor inconvenience in sheeting the center section. Of course, if you're going to make your struts from the basswood, then you just compensate for the length needed.
Don't know what effect removing the dihedral would be...It's such a small amount to begin with, I think it's mainly cosmetic. A flat wing tends to give the appearance of anhedral, or a droopy look.