RE: Unexpected flight characteristics
I think he was joking about the expo. But the others are right. Left thumb skills are the way to get straight takeoffs, not mixes. A 4 star should be pretty easy to get a smooth takeoff with though, so if it's shaking its tail you probably have a gear setup problem or not enough right thrust.
As for your flying trouble, what you describe doesn't make sense with the mix you did. So I'd go looking for something broken or damaged in either the control system or the wing mount.