The plane stress fracture toughness for thin aluminum alloy(2024-T3 and 7075-T6) specimens are characterized by using compact-tension (CT) specimens. Anti-buckling plates were fabricated on both sides of the thin CT specimens to prevent the buckling phenomena which caused by the 45.deg. C plastic yielding at the crack tip under the plane stress condition. The plane stress fracture toughnesses determined by three different procedures are compared with each others. The plane stress fracture toughnesses are also compared with a few published values which were determined by using center-cracked panel specimens.