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Thin twin-roll cast strips from a model Al-Cu-Mg-Li-Zr alloy with a small addition of Sc were prepared. A combination of a fast solidification rate and a favorable effect of Sc microalloying refines the grain size and the size of primary phase particles and reduces eutectic cell dimensions to 10–15 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>m. Long-term homogenization annealings used in conventionally cast materials lasting several tens of hours followed by a necessary dimension reduction through rolling/extruding could be substituted by energy and material-saving procedure. It consists of two-step short annealings at 300 °C/30 min and 450 °C/30 min, followed by the refinement and hardening of the structure using constrained groove pressing. A dense dispersion of 10–20 nm spherical <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>Al</mi><mn>3</mn></msub><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>Sc</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>Zr</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> precipitates intensively forms during this treatment and effectively stabilizes the structure and inhibits the grain growth during subsequent solution treatment at 530 °C/30 min. Small (3%) pre-straining after quenching assures more uniform precipitation of strengthening <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>Al</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mi>Cu</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>θ</mi><mo>′</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>), <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>Al</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mi>CuMg</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mo>′</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and Al₂CuLi (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>T</mi><mn>1</mn></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) particles during subsequent age-hardening annealing at 180 °C/14 h. The material does not contain a directional and anisotropic structure unavoidable in rolled or extruded sheets. The proposed procedure thus represents a model near net shape processing strategy for manufacturing lightweight high-strength sheets for cryogenic applications in aeronautics.