Fourstroke, I think you're missing the boat. If you only have 1 square inch of inlet area, taking away half of it is not going to improve the situation. That is not nearly enough inlet. Your engine is overheating and you need to give your engine more cooling air.

I know this from personal experience. I installed a .75 in a fly baby. I drilled some holes in the front for cooling, but tried for the most part to preseve the cowl. I cooked the engine good on the first flight and it died after about 3 minutes. I deadsticked in immediately and could still feel the heat when I got to it. I cut about 2 square inches of inlet and about 3 square inches of outlet. The inlet location is in front of the cylinder and my Pitts style muffler (side mount). This provides plenty of cooling right where I need it. I haven't had any further problems. Luckily it doesn't appear to have ruined the engine, but I'm sure it cut the lifespan. Cooking engines is NOT good for them.