Hi Rich, I purchased the James filtered air box. I have not installed it yet, but it is well made.
Don't have actual measurements for the two James filters (E-0995 or RC2600), but I suspect they are more restrictive than an "area of a truncated cone" calculation would lead you to think.
The first intake I built was similar to a James assembly and used a K&N RU-3120 with the butt end cut out (cone filter 2x4, 6 long). Don was kind enough to run it on the flow bench at AFP. The airbox contribution to pressure drop was 4" H2O, or 0.294" Hg. Not horrible, but not good enough.
Don suggested media area was the key, not surface area of the shape. I thought he was right and went back to the drawing board, concentrating on flat filters with deep media pleats. The RU-3120 has pleats about 3/8" deep. Most of the flat filters, including the too-small-at-first-glance stock Vans filter for the left cooling intake, have pleats around 7/8" deep.
I'm aware of a bench run with that Van's filter and a slightly modified duct. The filter and duct contribution to pressure loss was only about 2.5" H2O. Surprise!
Side note: previously I mentioned "obedience to the usual rules of airflow". The above pictured design also upset fuel metering, driving it rich nearly 13%. I think the cause was turbulent flow into the throttle body mouth....no intake bellmouth. That was also corrected with the new airbox.