This might be common knowledge but I want to ask the question to confirm it. Is one of the goals when porting heads and intake, to create a port tract through the intake runner, into the head, and on to the chamber that is reducing slightly in cross section as it goes? Tight or loose spots along the way are to be avoided as much as possible of course. From what I remember of fluid dynamics in college, that would seem to be better than it opening up as it gets to the valve area. This may be an oversimplification, but it's how I think about it at the moment.
What are the chances you can get your hands on one of the new TF small block intakes to see how it compares out of the box? I think that would be a lot more compelling than looking at an Air Gap.