A generally planar, rectangular solid oxide fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell units, each of the fuel cell units having an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte disposed there between, at least one bipolar separator plate disposed between the anode electrode of one fuel cell unit and the cathode electrode of an adjacent fuel cell unit, an oxidant manifold for delivering oxidant to the cathode electrode, a fuel manifold for delivering fuel to the anode electrode, an anode exhaust gas removal manifold for removing anode exhaust gases from the solid oxide fuel cell stack, and a cathode exhaust gas removal manifold for removing cathode exhaust gases from the solid oxide fuel cell stack. At least one ducted gas flow panel is disposed proximate the fuel cell stack and configured in combination with the fuel cell stack to preheat oxidant gas flowing therethrough and, thus, maintain the fuel cell stack in an operational condition without supplemental heating of the oxidant after entering the at least one ducted gas flow panel.