Sorry, I can't be of assistance. But I have the very same issues and have the same controllers with similar curves.
I have the same problem with gaining altitude at the break even with brake out and throttle idle as recommended. There is a great vid from 104th maverick but it would be great to see his control grid in that clip.
Regarding trim. I find it trickier than other planes. The obvious difference is you have an extra variable with the wings changing sweep angle. I think it's doable though if you're patient and use small trim adjustments without also moving the throttle. I must admit, I'm at the more casual end of players and I often just let the autopilot do the hard work for me.