Or: How to emulate the real thing in a scale RC tank.

I often see video of RC tankers driving their tanks with the turret rotating left and right like the roving proboscis of a large elefant.
I would surmise that using the turret like this in the real world like a mobile observer's platform and/or using the gun's fixed telescope to scan the terrain would be rather tactically reckless. For example, if a target is spotted at 9 o'clock and the turret has already been spun around to 3 o'clock, then the situation is probably dire and the enemy may the advantage especially if the turret traversing mechanism is slow.
The tank commander should be the one, either using the periscopes or his own upper body (with binoculars), acting as the eyes of the tank.

I'm speaking mainly of older tanks, WWII era or any that may have had a slower power (or possibly manual) traverse mechanism.

I just don't think it is very realistic and in the way that scale RC aircraft events are judged on the basis of realistic scale flight, seeing tanks operate in a similarly realistic manner is also gratifying.