Abstract: Process for manufacturing thick aluminum alloy plate having improved properties comprising the hot deformation of an ingot, wherein the hot deformation comprises the combination ofat least one hot rolling operation, andat least one forging operation,in which at least one of the hot rolling and forging operations is at least partly executed in the width direction.

Abstract: An aluminium alloy plate is provided with a thickness of more than 2 inches, e.g. 6, 7 or 8 inches, and having an average logarithmic fatigue life of more than 100,000 cycles determined in accordance with ASTM test method E 466. The density of micropores with a size larger than 80 .mu.m in all locations in the midplane (T/2) midwidth position at head and tail ends of the finished plate as measured by Optical Microscopy of samples in any plane perpendicular to the midplane is less than 0.025 micropores per cm.sup.2. The plate may be formed by degassing of a melt to give a specified porosity of the cast ingot, and by hot rolling with at least one specified high reduction ratio pass.