A Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine in the fuselage drove three three-blade rotors mounted on outriggers which projected from the fuselage. The blades were constructed from resin-impregnated wood which provided enormous strength, and were manufactured by the Glasgow furniture firm H. Morris & Co., Ltd. The W.11 rotor control system was hydraulically powered. It was the second helicopter ever to fly using such a system, the first being the Cierva W.9. The landing gear had a stroke of to cater for high descent rates in the event of engine failure during low-altitude operations.