In the present paper, a method for determination of external mass transfer coefficient h,, during drying of shrinking bodies is described under simulated natural convective air drying conditions. The effects of sample shrinkage and air temperature on h, during drying of cylindrical potato samples of diameter 0.01 m and length 0.05 m were experimentally investigated at air temperatures 40, 50 and 60 degrees C. The mass transfer coefficient considering shrinkage was found to be independent of sample moisture content during drying process with mean values varying from 1.06 x 10(-7) to 2.60 x 10(-7) m s(-1) for temperature range 40-60 degrees C. However, calculated values of h., with no shrinkage effect taken into account, were found to be overestimated. The experimental error in terms of percent uncertainty in mass transfer coefficient measurements was computed and found to be in the range of 0.4-2.0%. It was demonstrated that higher drying air temperature caused increased values of h. and the variation followed Kelvin's law type relation. A mathematical model to predict the drying process of cylindrical bodies with convective mass transfer boundary condition at air-solid interface is proposed. The low range of various errors between the results of moisture content ratio predicted by the model and those obtained experimentally indicates that the present methodology is capable of simulation of drying kinetics of potato cylinders. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.