  We present the results of a three-dimensional, relativistic, hydrodynamic
simulation of a precessing jet into which a compact blob of matter is injected.
A comparison of synthetic radio maps computed from the hydrodynamic model,
taking into account the appropriate light travel time delays, with those
obtained from observations of actual superluminal sources shows that the
variability of the jet emission is the result of a complex combination of phase
motions, viewing angle selection effects, and non-linear interactions between
perturbations and the underlying jet and/or the external medium. These results
question the hydrodynamic properties inferred from observed apparent motions
and radio structures, and reveal that shock-in-jet models may be overly
simplistic.
