WEDJ,

Of course is true what you wrote, all the covering material on the skin will take the forces not only the silk I wrote.
And it is known, balsa can take a bit of force in length direction, more than the silk.
Maybe it is a pro the flexibility of the silk and dope is nearly the same as balsa( I think). So both can do there job until deforming.

The picture of the Taurus wing used in Belgium shows the centre section bottom side. Connection of sheeting and skin

RCM & E Taurus

Sheeting material on the Taurus drawing 3/32 = 2,38 mm, a little more than 2 mm.
We can make a choice between 1,5 mm (0,059”) 2 mm (0,078) maybe 2,5 mm
I prefer 2 mm because of handling, transport.

Your 1/16 WEDJ is 1,58 mm is between those two values.

Taurus normally has two balsa main spars ¼ x ½, so the cross sectional surface is as 1 ½ “ wide strip of sheeting.
On the root the drawing gives spar doublers for de first 4 ribs so to compare with a 3” wide strip of skin.
Result is what you said, we can nearly forget the spars, only when I want to make the D tube I need them back, so see the picture.

Wester Taurus wing rib

Nose spar for easy building and prevent nose damage during transport and so on.
All balsa construction with triangular main spars and balsa shear webs.
D-tube to prevent deformation during building.
The total amount of material I use will nearly be the same Ed did use, only on the place I want.

Some words about spars and ribs

My experience is the big spruce spars and 2 a 3 mm plywood wing ribs prevent damage during a crash ad makes the remains often repairable.
In the Orion the maingear is directly bolted on top and bottom mainspar.
Main axle of each leg is a steel 8 mm axles on two ball bearings!

While discussing the wing I am also preparing the lasercheck of the tail and calculate the stab dimensions of the Wester Taurus. So maybe next time more positive results.

Cees