PVT PLT OF A SURPLUS MIL FGT ACFT FLEW INTO UNFORECASTED WX AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND HDGS ASSIGNED BY ATC FOR AN INST APCH CAUSING LTSS.

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DURING A VFR FLT FROM COLUMBUS; GA; TO LOUISVILLE; KY; WHILE RETURNING FROM LAKELAND; FL; I ENCOUNTERED SEVERE UNPREDICTED TSTMS 5 MI N OF CHATTANOOGA; TN. I WAS FLYING A MIL FGT WITH IFR EQUIP; BUT WITHOUT CERTIFICATION FOR IFR FLT AND WITHOUT AN AUTOPLT. MY INITIAL ALT WAS 4500 FT MSL AND HDG 360 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO 180 DEGS AND ENGAGED MY EMER SEARCH MODE EQUIP; WHICH SHOWED CHATTANOOGA ARPT APPROX 5 MI AND 130 DEG HDG. I VISUALLY LOCATED THE ARPT AND BEGAN CIRCLING; KEEPING THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THIS TIME HVY RAIN AND TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. I CALLED CHATTANOOGA APCH CTL AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO LAND. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ARPT WAS IFR AND I COULD NOT LAND. I AGAIN ASKED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT. CHATTANOOGA APCH THEN ASKED IF I WAS IFR QUALIFIED AND EQUIPPED. I REPLIED YES; BUT REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH BECAUSE I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR AN IFR APCH AND WISHED TO REMAIN VFR. CHATTANOOGA APCH CTL THEN CLRED ME FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 20 AND INSTRUCTED ME WITH VECTORS AND ALTS FOR THE ABOVE APCH. I ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS AND REMAINED VFR. DUE TO EXTREME TURB; WIND SHEAR; AND RAIN LEAKING INTO THE COCKPIT; I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY ACCURATELY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS THEN GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ CHANGE AND CLRED FOR AN ASR APCH. I SAW THE ARPT AT APPROX 3000 FT MSL AND 4-5 MI DISTANCE AND LANDED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY ON RWY 20. I SAW NO OTHER ACFT DURING THIS PERIOD. I LATER CALLED THE CTL TWR TO THANK THE CTLRS FOR THEIR HELP AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD NOT MAINTAINED ADEQUATE SEPARATION AND HAD SET OFF THE ALARMS ON THE RADAR; THUS REQUIRING THEM TO FILE A RPT. I AGAIN THANKED THE CTLRS FOR THEIR HELP. I BELIEVE THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD ASKED FOR A CONTACT APCH OR HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT. I REMAINED VFR AT ALL TIMES; BUT THE EXTREME TURB AND WIND SHEAR MADE HOLDING ALT AND DIRECTIONAL STABILITY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.