As Grey Ghost noted, all airforces had their share of brave and resourceful men.
Also, How do you really define "underrated"? Achieved more with less? Actually had good machines and pilots but this was not widely appreciated at the time or today?
While I have utmost admiration for all things Finnish, I wouldn't consider the Finnish airforce "underrated" at all. We all know about its great sucess against the USSR in the winter war with mostly hand-me-down equipment, as well as its later successes in the continuation war as German allies with a lot of more modern German equipment. Nobody who knows anything undervalues the skill and resolve of the Finns.
How about France? Because France as a nation bellied up very quickly as a result of poor strategic planning and defeatist leadership, not many people realize the excellent materiel and training French fighting forces had. France had introduced, or was introducing in 1939-40, fighters and bombers in the same calibre as what Germany and Britain had, and these were far better than what Italy had. In the little appreciated "southern" front after Italy invaded, the French airforce gave the Italians far more than they could handle.
I'd second the votes for some of Germany's other Allies, particularly Hungary and Romania, who both produced effective warplanes and flew them effectively against the Allies.
I'd also second the votes for the Canadians, South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders. During WW2 many people tended to lump each of these individual Dominions into a generalized British" effort.
Also, How do you really define "underrated"? Achieved more with less? Actually had good machines and pilots but this was not widely appreciated at the time or today?
While I have utmost admiration for all things Finnish, I wouldn't consider the Finnish airforce "underrated" at all. We all know about its great sucess against the USSR in the winter war with mostly hand-me-down equipment, as well as its later successes in the continuation war as German allies with a lot of more modern German equipment. Nobody who knows anything undervalues the skill and resolve of the Finns.
How about France? Because France as a nation bellied up very quickly as a result of poor strategic planning and defeatist leadership, not many people realize the excellent materiel and training French fighting forces had. France had introduced, or was introducing in 1939-40, fighters and bombers in the same calibre as what Germany and Britain had, and these were far better than what Italy had. In the little appreciated "southern" front after Italy invaded, the French airforce gave the Italians far more than they could handle.
I'd second the votes for some of Germany's other Allies, particularly Hungary and Romania, who both produced effective warplanes and flew them effectively against the Allies.
I'd also second the votes for the Canadians, South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders. During WW2 many people tended to lump each of these individual Dominions into a generalized British" effort.